The Copenhagen Post Mar 23-29

Denmark – they speak Dutch there, right?

Danish activist enters fifth week of hunger strike

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23 - 29 March 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 12

Get in gear as top UK show rolls into town

G9

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk PETER STANNERS

NEWS

Security in focus following violent attacks at job centre and hospital

3 NEWS

What’s in a gender?

Transgendered people fight for the right to give birth, and politicians largely support their cause

6 COMMUNITY

Against the grain Anders Samuelsen and the Liberal Alliance go where few Danish politicians dare

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See a full page of photos from the three-legged St Patrick’s Day race in the heart of the city

11 CULTURE

Noma robbed, many say Danish food critics argue that restaurant’s failure to get a third Michelin star was political

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All signs point to reduced terrorism risk Threat against Denmark may be decreasing as al-Qaeda turns local, but homegrown terrorists remain a potential danger

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ECENT intelligence information suggests that the threat of terrorism in Denmark may begin to drop in a few years. The country has been on a high terror alert status for more than a decade, and although defence intelligence agency FE says Denmark remains a high priority among terrorists, the weakening of the terrorist network al-Qaeda may reduce potential threats.

“There is no doubt that al-Qaeda’s

senior leadership in Pakistan is under ex- Denmark high. For example, hometreme pressure and that the group is not grown terrorists – people born or raised as effective as it was even a few years ago,” in the country they target – could desaid FE director Thomas Ahrenkiel. velop extreme views and decide to carry “Our assessment is that al-Qaeda out attacks. will become less centralised and atAfter the 9/11 attacks brought the tacks will mainly occur locally in places potential for terrorism on Western soil like Somalia and Yemen. As al-Qaeda into full view, Denmark found itself a becomes even less focused, the threat target during the dispute over the pubagainst Denmark will lessen.” lication of the Mohammed cartoons in Ahrenkiel suggested that the devel- 2005, and even more with their republiopment could take as long as five years, cation in 2008. For that reason, accordbut that he would not be surprised if ing to FE, the danger of terrorist activDenmark was able to reduce its terror ity against the newspaper could remain alert status sooner. high, even if the general threat level falls.

He warned though that other fac- a personal “Some point to the Danish forces in Organise meeting tors could keep the threat of terror in Afghanistan as the cause of the threat to

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Denmark, but the most important explanation is the Mohammed cartoons,” said Ahrenkiel . “The publication of the cartoons holds great symbolic value for terrorists: the West isn’t just repressive, it also mocks and ridicules religion.”

Ahrenkiel suggested that if overall threat levels in the West drop, the threat against Denmark was likely to fall as well.

Terrorism researcher Lars Erslev Andersen expressed surprise that threat levels hadn’t already been reduced.

“Al-Qaeda is on the run, and the Arab Spring sent the signal that it is easier to achieve change through political means rather than terrorism,” said Andersen. (J-P)

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2

Week in review

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

23 - 29 March 2012 Scanpix/Bax Lindhart

Warm March

THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK Church bells to ring for gays and lesbians Do it in the nude: public pools offer naked swimming Dating the Danes | First date (the Kiwi’s view) Dutch pastries and double Danish Tone of immigration debate has improved – or has it?

FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. Around 10,000 people marched through Copenhagen to demonstrate against government budget cuts.

FIVE YEARS AGO. The country’s print media earned 152m kr from foreign bookmakers, despite it being illegal for the companies to advertise in Denmark.

ONE YEAR AGO. Danes have almost ten billion kroner in outstanding tax bills, according to the Tax Ministry.

With an average temperature of 4.5 degrees up until Tuesday, March has seen temperatures 2.4 degrees higher than normal. According to forecasts, March 2012 is on pace to possibly top 1990 and 2007 as the warmest March on record if the average temp for the rest of the month is over 7.6 degrees

budgets of ministries will be 1.4 billion kroner less than in 2011.

Roughly half of the expected savings will come into effect this year, with the other half achieved via cuts made in 2013. The finance minister, Bjarne Corydon (S, pictured), said that the government must “take its own medicine” and find ways to work more efficiently.

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper Since 1998, The Copenhagen Post has been Denmark’s leading source for news in English. As the voice of the international community, we provide coverage for the thousands of foreigners making their home in Denmark.

Additionally, our English language medium helps to bring Denmark’s top stories to a global audience.

In addition to publishing the only regularly printed English-language newspaper in the country, we provide up-to-date news on our website and deliver news to national and international organisations. The Copenhagen Post is also a leading provider of non-news services to the private and public sectors, offering writing, translation, editing, production and delivery services.

Visit us online at www.cphpost.dk

Busted

The leader of a gang of burglars was handed a three-year prison sentence in City Court this week. The police believe that the sentence finally shuts down one of the most organised and professional burglary gangs they have dealt with in years. The 30-year-old is believed to be the kingpin of an eight-man gang.

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark Editor-in-Chief Kevin McGwin Managing Editor Ben Hamilton News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Peter Stanners, Ray Weaver & Christian Wenande

He and the rest of his crew have been in custody since August, and police say that the gang was so active and effective that the number of burglaries in Copenhagen has dropped by 66 percent since they were locked up. The gang leader was sentenced for burglary and handling stolen goods worth 14 million kroner.

Editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 DK 1715 Copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 www.cphpost.dk News Desk news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The CPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor.

Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk

DR/Bjarne Bergius Hermansen

The days of public workers enjoying more job security than their private sector counterparts may be drawing rapidly to a close.

This week, the Foreign Ministry cut 60 jobs, adding to the hundreds of workers from other ministries that have been axed in recent months. And more could be on the way. By 2013, operating

Colourbox

Scanpix/Linda Henriksen

More cuts

CORRECTION As interesting as it would be to see Harry Potter in a Sherlock Holmes film, there is no ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Woman in Black’ as we wrote in last week’s film listings.

Re-shuffle

Public broadcaster DR has announced that beginning this autumn it will change the broadcast time of its evening newscast from 9:00 to 9:30. News director Ulrik Haagerup said that in addition to the new timeslot, the news broadcast will be expanding its foreign coverage and focusing more on stories about

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health, the economy and consumer issues. DR’s 9pm news programme is the country’s most watched newscast. The closest competing national newscast is TV2’s 7pm broadcast. Some media watchers are suggesting that DR is moving the evening newscast in order to compete with TV2’s 10pm news broadcast.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

No news is good news for the presidency Denmark has done well to so far avoid scandal as EU president, but problems may yet arise, an expert warns

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O FAR so good. That was the assessment of EU expert Marlene Wind last week as she discussed with the press the government’s first couple of months as EU president.

“They are very fortunate that there have been no scandals,” Wind explained. “They may have been having a hard time in their domestic politics, but internationally they have done a good job.”

But despite the dearth of scandal, Denmark remains at the helm of Europe as it faces some of its most dramatic changes in recent history. According to Wind, the signing of the fiscal compact treaty (FCT) earlier this month meant that Europe had split into three distinct groups.

The first are the 17 Eurozone countries that are forced to push through the budget reforms specified in the treaty.

Then there are the eight EU states without the euro who have decided to sign up anyway.

Denmark is one of these countries that has decided to follow

the Eurozone’s reforms as a way to signal to the markets that the country is prepared to follow a responsible fiscal policy.

Finally there is the Czech Republic and the UK, both of whom have their own currencies and have not signed up to the deal. This splintering of the EU has several consequences according to Wind.

Firstly, she said, it demonstrates that the core European countries are ready to plough ahead without waiting for everyone to be ready – a scenario that Danish officials have expressed concern about.

“The fear is that this is the beginning of the end of the old system, where everyone moved ahead together and waited for everyone to be ready. The fiscal compact treaty was so dramatic because [the core EU countries] told the rest of the EU that they weren’t going to wait for the foot draggers.”

The second consequence would be that the Eurozone may start to create legislation that only covers countries using the single currency, thereby formalising their union within the European Union. This would undermine the single European market, which to many is the EU’s most valuable asset.

“We may start seeing the Eurozone splinter off and start

SCANPIX/KELD NAVNTOFT

PETER STANNERS

The government’s ability to avoid scandal hides the fact that the union is at a critical crossroads

creating its own rules on taxation and labour market policies. There is a real fear of this in many corners, which is why many thought [UK prime minister] David Cameron would climb down from his position because no matter what, the UK needs the internal market.”

But Cameron has not shown any signs of backing down. The UK has strongly opposed any efforts to hand over additional budget responsibility to Brussels or impose an EU-wide tax on financial transactions (FTT). In an attempt to bring the UK back into the fold, the Europe minister, Nicolai Wammen, even made a special trip to the UK to “build bridges” with the country

Violence at public institutions puts security in spotlight Three violent incidents last week highlight the need for more security at government worksites, union says

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HE NATIONAL office workers’ union, HK, is demanding more security for council workers following three violent incidents at public institutions in Helsingør and Odense in the space of two days last week.

A disgruntled man brandishing an axe at a job centre in Helsingør injured two council workers last week on Thursday, and only an hour later another man attempted to burn down a job centre in Odense using a lighter and five litres of petrol.

The following day, a psychiatric patient at Odense Hospital stabbed three employees with a knife that he had hidden in a bag.

Following the stabbing, he then barricaded himself in a room for ten hours before police were able to enter and arrest him.

Police are now investigating how the man was able to get the knife through security.

During the preliminary questioning, the man said he committed the acts because he was angry at being committed to a psychiatric ward. He will be remanded until April 13.

All three victims – a male

Regardless of the amount of security we have, situations like this are ultimately unavoidable doctor and two other female staff members – are in a stable condition and improving.

HK have noted that, in 2012 alone, there have already been six registered cases that they consider to be life-threatening, and that the general increase of such episodes is untenable.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that our members are forced to go to work frightened,” HK spokesman Mads Samsing told Avisen.dk. “The rising number of cases and especially the potency of the violence used means that we must address the security issue.”

Mette Gregersen, the head of the job centre in Helsingør, said she took the axe attack very seriously but maintained that it is important for councils to remain open and accessible to the public.

“Naturally, the employees are shocked and emotional,”

Gregersen said. “Regardless of the amount of security we have, situations like this are ultimately unavoidable in the long run, and we do not want to get to a stage where we are body-searching our citizens.”

Copenhagen University professor David Dreyer Lassen, who has researched the reasons for violence and threats against public workers, says that the increased violence can be attributed to the financial crisis.

“Being denied the money necessary to function properly leads to amplified frustration,” Lassen said. ”Unfortunately, in many situations it is the case worker behind the desk that bears the brunt of this frustration because they become the symbol of the person’s financial problems.”

Examples of disgruntled citizens reacting violently have been on the rise in the last few years, but three episodes stand out.

In 2007, security guard Benny Hansen was shot in the head and killed at a tax centre after he confronted a discontented man who had threatened a caseworker.

In 2009, a man threw a molotov cocktail at a job centre in Copenhagen after he was denied his social security. Case worker Birthe Christiansen was stabbed and killed in 2010 at a job centre carpark in Holstebro. (CW)

They may have been having a hard time in their domestic politics but internationally they have done a good job that has stubbornly refused to follow Europe in its twin ventures of discipline and solidarity.

Wammen’s visit does not seem to have made much difference. But given some of the latest developments in the EU, the question is whether the FCT

will really make that much difference anyway.

Both Spain and Hungary have been reprimanded in recent days for failing to stick to the 3 percent budget deficit limit that is required of EU member states.

But while the EU has threatened to withhold almost half a billion euros in aid from Hungary, Spain has been let off with a warning.

The reason is that while Hungary has shown little resolve to maintain budget discipline, Spain has pushed through a range of austerity measures and reforms. This demonstrated a willingness to become more responsible, and was enough for the EU to back down from any form of punishment.

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This is relevant for Denmark as it attempts to push through its ‘Kickstart’ spending programme to get the economy going. The government hopes that spending 10 billion kroner on public projects will stimulate the rest of the flagging economy.

Some experts have expressed worry that the FCT would prevent Denmark from investing in its economy. But according to Wind, as long as Denmark also passes legislation that indicates it wants to follow a responsible economic path – such as reforming the welfare state, which the government is currently working on – it will also probably avoid any sort of punishment for exceeding its promised budget deficit limit.

“Many people might be sceptical that the fiscal compact treaty will not work,” Wind explained.

“But what it could do is provide a greater crisis consciousness and make leaders realise that they have to follow the rules.”

This strategy may yet work, as half the problem with the European debt crisis seems to be finding ways of assuring the markets that Europe is determined to live within its means.

For now the EU seems prepared to forgive the other half of the problem – countries spending more than they earn – despite the fact that this is one of the root causes of Europe’s crisis.

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Cover story

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

The rise of the libertarians

Scanpix/keld Navntoft

Peter Stanners

A fringe political party is fighting for lower taxes and a smaller government, but will the message catch on?

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he views of Denmark’s newest mainstream political party are radical. They propose cutting the maximum level of tax to 40 percent, making people pay to use the health service, halving the corporate tax rate, completely abolishing early retirement schemes and reassessing all those on disability benefits to ensure that everyone who is capable of earning a living, does so. Immigrants are welcome, but they can’t make a claim for social benefits such as free healthcare for five years.

As their name suggests, Liberal Alliance (LA) is libertarian to the core.

They fight for market solutions, smaller government and increased personal freedom. Their views run contrary to Denmark’s dominant left-wing ideology and ask whether the relationship between individuals and the state ought to be fundamentally overhauled.

Outside of Denmark, these views are hardly extreme and could easily be found on the manifesto of any liberal-minded party. And yet during the decade of rule

by Denmark’s last government – a centreright coalition (VKO) consisting of the liberal and conservative parties, Venstre (V) and Konservative (K) and buoyed by the anti-immigration Dansk Folkeparti (DF) – the tax pressure did not diminish, nor did the size of the welfare state.

In short, VKO’s governmental policies seemed neither liberal nor conservative.

According to Christoffer Green-Pedersen, a political professor at Aarhus University, VKO’s move towards the middle created an opening for LA. “To take power, Venstre had to move toward the middle and become more anti-immigrant,” Green-Pedersen explained. “This left a group of discouraged liberals who had no-one to vote for.”

The party was initially called Ny Alliance (New Alliance), and was founded to provide the government with a realistic alternative support party to DF that the government relied upon to keep its majority. But after taking only 2.7 percent of the vote in the 2007 election, Ny Alliance collapsed. After a change in leadership and name, the party went on to gain five percent of the vote at the 2011 election, earning them nine seats in parliament. Polls since last September’s election indicate that LA has maintained the same level of support since.

According to Green-Pedersen, the party’s success can be attributed to its clear branding. Whereas Ny Alliance was more of a centrist party hoping to support a liberal government and ensure its majority, LA is firmly and uncompromisingly libertarian. Its goal is to act as an outsider and pull the government back toward liberal policies – formally supporting a government would require it to compromise on its policies and undermine its very existence.

A market-orientated and small government party, LA’s policies often mean it is cast as the party of the selfish. But its leader, Anders Samuelsen, argues it is quite the opposite.

“Liberal Alliance seeks to represent all those Danes who believe that the state has become too big and too expensive and who believe that the state should

23 - 29 March 2012

December’s debate between LA’s Joachim Olsen and SF’s Özlem Cekic is credited by many with reframing the way Denmark looks at the welfare state

interfere less, not more, in people’s personal lives,” Samuelsen said. “This is not an agenda only for the so-called ‘super wealthy’, but is a policy that will benefit all. Not only does everyone benefit from more personal freedom, but halving the tax on companies and cutting income taxes to a maximum of 40 percent will boost both growth and job creation, and benefit all levels of income.”

It is Samuelsen’s belief that all Danes would be better off paying less tax. But the immediate effect of cutting tax rates would create a massive hole in public finances, which in turn would require cutting the welfare state. This may potentially undo much of the work done to redistribute wealth and maintain the high level of equality. Samuelsen, however, is unconcerned by this scenario.

“Denmark today has the highest level of income equality in the world,” he said. “Even with a total implementation of Liberal Alliance’s economic policies, Denmark would still be one of the most equal countries in the world.”

It’s no secret that LA is less than convinced of the existence of poverty in Denmark. One of their MPs, Joachim Olsen, caused a minor uproar when he wrote on Facebook before Christmas that “it is an insult to all the millions of starving people across the world to talk about poor people in Denmark [...] If there are any people who cannot afford to hold Christmas then it’s their own fault!”

Olsen’s comments then led to a national debate over poverty, in which Socialistisk Folkeparti’s Özlem Cekic trotted out an example of a ‘poor Dane’ that largely backfired.

According to 21-year-old Rasmus Brygger, the national president of LA’s youth party, Liberal Alliance Ungdom, the Danish obsession with equality is one of the issues the party is uniquely

critical of.

“As long as there are equal opportunities, equality isn’t a problem,” Brygger said. “You always have an opportunity in Denmark because you can always go to high school or university regardless of whether your parents are rich or poor.”

Brygger was a former member of V’s youth party but joined LA out of dissatisfaction with V’s centrist and leftwing policies. He argues that only reducing the maximum tax rate to 40 percent would encourage economic growth in a country whose citiThe problem is zens have actually that resigned there is too much themselves to a culture equality of allowing their money to go through the government’s hands before ending up back in their pockets.

“This mindset is a greater problem than the [left-wing] policies themselves,” Brygger argued, adding that one of the party’s main goals is to make Danes take greater responsilibty for their lives. “We want to turn it around and say the problem is actually that there is too much equality. I know we’re seen as extreme, but really all we are doing is proposing a maximum 40 percent tax rate.”

LA paints a picture of a Danish state that inhibits rather than enables. They argue that with a lower tax rate, entrepreneurs and business people would be able to hire more employees, and the abolition of early retirement would empower people to re-enter the workforce after being paid to sit at home.

But most Danes don’t buy it. Chris-

tian Albrekt Larsen, a political professor at Aalborg University, explained that despite the emergence of LA – and the 16 million kroner spent on advertising their message in 2011 – the libertarian ideology is still not popular.

“Studies have shown that the basic value orientation of Danes over the years is towards the left-wing,” Larsen said. “Their views are gradually shifting toward more left-wing positions, as you can see by the move of right-wing parties towards the left.”

Green-Pedersen also cited studies that indicate that the majority of Danes are highly supportive of the welfare state.

“Apart from the ultra rich, most wealthy people get a lot out of the welfare state. While the upper middle class may pay in more than they get back, they get enough back from it in order to support it,” Green-Pedersen said. “People understand that if they pay less tax, it will affect the services they use, such as the health or education system.”

And if LA thinks it could appeal to a Dane’s sense of self-interest, they may be disappointed to discover that Danes are not, apparently, highly selfish voters.

“Income only seems to affect voting habits in families that have pre-tax incomes of about 800,000 kroner,” Rune Stubager, a political professor at the University of Aarhus, said. “Only the top ten percent of earners tend to vote more for the right wing.”

Stubager added that while Denmark as a whole might be economically better off under LA’s plan, the average Dane baulks at willingly increasing inequality.

“Danes just don’t agree with their policies. Ninety percent of Danes cannot be swayed by economic incentives and that large group is willing to pay the price of the welfare state,” Stubager said, adding that LA could probably never

earn more than ten percent of the vote.

Even if Danes support the welfare state, that does not mean it is sustainable. According to Samuelsen, the welfare state is too expensive in its current form to survive.

“Reforming the welfare state and turning it into a welfare society with a smaller state and a smaller government is not just an option, it’s a necessity if Denmark is to secure the core welfare such as healthcare and education,” he said.

If they hoped to capitalise on this position they were out of luck. The Socialdemokraterne-led (S) government recently kicked off a debate to find areas of welfare that could be cut in order to provide better targeted services for those who need it. It seems to be a strange twist: the VKO government was accused of following a left-wing agenda by not reining in the welfare state, and now S is following a liberal agenda by seeking to reform it.

But with public support for the welfare state running so high, it’s hardly a wonder that even liberal-minded parties have carefully cultivated the welfare state. It seems that Danes still view the welfare state as a public ‘good’ and even LA’s more restrictive ‘welfare society’ assumes that the government has a role in providing for society’s weakest.

The views of LA have always been present in Danish politics. But whereas before they were jostling for attention within the V and K parties, they now have their own platform to freely promote their message. On the surface, it could be argued that their rise represents a growing discontent with the welfare state. In fact, the opposite is more likely – that if it were not for the continued support of the welfare state by a majority of Danish voters, the small contrarian voice would never be given a chance to set itself apart in the first place.

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

Activist enters fifth week of hunger strike in Bahraini jail Amnesty International is calling on the foreign minister to meet the Bahraini king to secure the release of jailed activist

Danish troops compliant in Afghan torture, report says Defence minister causes uproar with ‘wait and see’ response to findings that prisoners turned over to Afghan authorities are beaten into confessions

SCANPIX

PETER STANNERS

D

ANISH forces in Afghanistan deliver prisoners to a detention facility where torture is applied to get confessions, a new report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) concludes.

The 67-page report, entitled ‘Torture, Transfers and Denial of Due Process: The Treatment of Conflict-Related Detainees in Afghanistan’, details the plight of prisoners and methods of torture practiced at a number of prisons throughout Afghanistan.

The list includes the Lashkar Gah Prison, a detention centre run by the Afghan security service, to which the Danish forces have been delivering prisoners since 2006.

The report describes cases of severe beatings with metal pipes, and inmates indicated that the beatings persisted until a satisfactory confession was obtained.

“They hit my back and feet with a massive metal pipe,” one prisoner said.

“They also used their fists. That was the kind of beating we received and they did not stop until you admitted that you were involved with the Taleban.”

Mistreated prisoners were also hidden away in basement compartments when inspectors came to check on prison conditions.

The defence minister, Nick

C

ONCERN is mounting for the health of Danish human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for 40 days in a Bahraini jail in protest against the life sentence he was handed last summer for his role in organising protests during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Al-Khawaja was granted Danish citizenship in the 1990s after being granted asylum because he faced persecution for his human rights work in Bahrain. He returned to Bahrain in 2001 to continue his work, but was arrested last April and sentenced in a military court in June.

Al-Khawaja started his hunger strike on February 2 and, according to his daughter Maryam al-Khawaja, is now so frail he cannot stand when saying his prayers. Al Jazeera also reports that he has lost 14 kilograms and has started to refuse medical examinations and water.

“His health is not good. He can’t walk and even talking is hard,” his lawyer, Mohammed alal-Jishi, told Al Jazeera after visiting him last week on Tuesday.

“He’s tired. He’s not able to stand up. He needs somebody to help him.”

In a letter released in February, al-

Danish human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and his daughter, Maryam

Khawaja thanked the efforts of Danish diplomats in attempting to secure his release, but pleaded for more to be done.

With al-Khawaja’s condition deteriorating, human rights organisation Amnesty International is now demanding that the foreign minister, Villy Søvndal, seeks an audience with Bahrain’s king, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

“We believe that the Foreign Ministry has done quite a lot to make a breakthrough in this case, but after a 40-day hunger strike his life is at stake, so we need to get through to Bahrain soon,” Ole Hoff Lund, of Amnesty International Denmark, told The Copenhagen Post. “The Foreign Ministry believes in a breakthrough, but time is running out.”

An independent report published

last November detailed the abuse that al-Khawaja has faced in the Bahraini jail, including torture and sexual abuse, and led to Søvndal publicly castigating the Bahraini authorities.

But the Bahraini authorities seem to have taken little notice of the calls from the foreign minister and have yet to set a date for al-Khawaja’s appeal at the country’s highest court.

Eight other people were also sentenced to life sentences last June along with al-Khawaja on charges of terrorism and attempting to overthrow the government. Several medical professionals were also arrested and given long sentences for helping to treat protesters injured during violent clashes with police during protests last spring.

Out of the frying pan, into the can Claus Meyer is in the spotlight again after producing a documentary series about prisoners learning how to cook

C

RIME victims are enraged after a new documentary series produced by celebrity chef Claus Meyer, ‘Restaurant Behind Bars’, debuted last week to much debate and criticism.

The show’s concept centres around 20 inmates incarcerated in Vridsløselille State Prison where they, over an eightweek period, learn to cook high-quality food under Meyer’s tutelage. The project, seen by some as a social experiment, is produced in co-operation with Meyer and the criminal welfare committee Kriminalforsogen.

Meyer and inmates have gone handin-hand as of late. He first landed in hot water in February after assault victim Marlene Duus told the media that her assailant was a trainee at Meyer’s bakery.

Three years ago, her ex-boyfriend had beaten her into unconsciousness with a metal pipe and then tossed her out of a third-story window, leaving her partially paralysed.

Lotte Lindgaard, the head of programming for the television channel DR1, which is airing the programme, contends that the project addresses important social issues and promotes a healthy debate.

“We have never had any doubts about the project,” Lindegaard told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “We are participating because we find it interesting to discuss the options concerning rehabili-

Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), told Information newspaper that until the UN says otherwise, the Danish forces will continue to deliver prisoners to the detention centre in Laskar Gah. “The ministry is of course following the developments and the UN investigations, and we will adhere to their eventual findings.”

The Defence Ministry stressed that under guidelines set down by the new Socialdemokraterne-led administration, the Army continuously monitors the conditions at the prison, but according to the AIHRC report, those efforts are inadequate.

Troels Lund Poulsen (Venstre) described the allegations as grave and questioned whether the existing model was working.

“The defence minister should take these claims very seriously,” Poulsen told Information.”We must investigate whether these accusations are legitimate.

It is paramount that prisoners delivered

by Danish forces are not tortured.”

Other lawmakers were more direct in their criticism, maintaining that the dire findings should have immediate consequences.

“There is absolutely nothing to discuss; this should get all alarm bells to ring,” Nikolaj Willumsen (Enhedslisten) told Information. “The minister [Hækkerup] has pledged to the parliament that he would act decisively if accounts of torture were found in Laskar Gah, so I fully expect him to take action.” (CW)

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Meyer outside Vridsløselille Prison, where his show takes place

tation so that we can get the criminals set on a better path.”

However, Hennig Wollsen, the chairman of the victims’ advocacy group Hjælp Voldsofre, thinks that DR and Kriminalforsogen’s decision to let a group of convicted criminals be part of a TV cooking show is unethical. “[Victims] don’t know if their assailants will suddenly pop up in the show, and it must be a shocking surprise, especially since they will essentially be conveyed as TV stars,” told Politken newspaper.

Meyer told Politiken he was surprised at the explosive reaction to his TV programme and stressed that his wish was only to contribute to the prevention of crime by rehabilitating inmates who had served their terms.

“Additionally, I am convinced that the victims are the last people we should consult about the rehabilitation issues,” Meyer said. “If we did that, we would be measuring the punishment administered in correlation to the pain experienced by the victim and that’s not justice, but blatant revenge.”

Wollsen disagreed with Meyer that the documentary has value as a social experiment.

“I’ve seen the first episode of the series and it is pure entertainment,” he said. “It’s simply wrong to entertain people on a foundation of personal tragedy.”

In connection with the show, a brand new kitchen was installed in the prison to the tune of 500,000 kroner, jointly financed by Meyer and DR.

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6 News Transgendered fight for Hospital denied woman who didn’t call ahead to A&E right to give birth The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

Christian Wenande Politicians disagree when it comes to changing the current law, which imposes sterilisation on sex change recipients

P

oliticians are set to follow Sweden’s lead in changing an old law that prohibits transgendered men from giving birth to children.

Currently all transgendered people who choose to have a sex change operation are automatically sterilised in the process, in accordance with a Danish law from 1929. The right-wing Dansk Folkeparti (DF) sees no reason to change the law.

“The rules are fine as they are,” Liselott Blixt (DF) told Berlingske newspaper. “You can’t just pick and choose whether you want this or that.

If men start giving birth to children, the roles will change and we’ll all end up being confused.”

Aside from DF, all other

political parties are optimistic when it comes to the question of whether men, who used to be women, should be able to give birth. Sofie Hæstrup Andersen, a spokeswoman for Socialdemokraterne (S), told Berlingske that the government is moving to explore the legality of the issue, as well as researching Sweden’s ongoing attempt to change a similar law.

“We are positive in regards to altering the law that forces people to be sterilised during the process of legally changing one’s gender,” Andersen said.

International critics of the standing law, such as Amnesty International, argue that the practise of imposing medical or surgical treatment upon an individual who wants a sex change goes against basic human rights.

Stine Brix from Enhedslisten is highly critical of the existing conditions, which means one loses the ability to have a child if they change their gender.

“A few years ago, people thought it was madness that homosexuals should be able to have

23 - 29 March 2012

kids, but today it is obviously accepted,” Brix told Berlingske.

“Parenting is measured in the ability to raise a child and give it unconditional love. Why should folks who have had a sex change not be able to live up to that?”

Benedikte Kiær from the Konservative (K) agreed with Brix but stressed that, although current conditions should be improved, due to the impact it may have on the children involved, the issue should be researched properly.

Since 2005, at least 30 individuals have undergone a sex change operation in Denmark and been sterilised in the process.

According to the sexological clinic at Rigshospitalet, the interest in having a sex change operation has increased. They predict that in the future about ten people a year will be given the opportunity to change their sex.

Neighbouring Sweden is on the cusp of overturning a comparable law from 1972 that similarly forces transgendered people to be sterilised during sex change operations.

School fined for giving Muslim student choice she had to refuse Vocational centre to compensate student who chose to drop out of school rather than taste a dish containing pork

A

n equality tribunal has ordered a vocational school to compensate a former Muslim student to the tune of 75,000 kroner after pressuring her to taste the dish she had cooked in class.

The student, a young Muslim woman with a Lebanese background, was being educated as a dietitian at a school in the Jutland town of Holsterbro when she was confronted in 2010 by several members of staff about having to taste the food.

Doing so is in conflict with her religious beliefs and she subsequently dropped out of the school.

According to the school, they did not force the student to taste anything and will appeal

the decision to the courts, referring to a 2005 guideline stating that dietitians must taste the food they serve.

“The decision was made on the assumption that we coerced the student to taste pork, but that is untrue,” school head Svend Ørgaard told Berlingske newspaper. “We only pointed out to her that it will be difficult for her to find an apprenticeship if she does not want to taste the food.”

Danish chef Wassim Hallal, known for his participation in the Danish version of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, was adamant that a chef should always taste food before serving it, regardless of religious beliefs.

“I hate the taste of liver pâté, and I despise the smell of liver pâté,” Hallal told Berlingske.

“But if I am making it for my guests, I taste it, and spit it out again quickly. You have to taste what you serve your guests.”

Hallal pointed out that he

would never force anyone to taste anything, but suggested instead that individuals unwilling to eat certain foods should reconsider their career choice.

The Hotel and Resturant School in Valby, which recently found itself in a similar conflict with one of its students, said that students there were permitted to take cooking classes without having to taste the food.

“Of course it can be a problem if you want to become a top chef and not taste the food for various reasons,” school director Søren Kühlwein Kristiansen told Berlingske. “We don’t pressure them to taste anything, but we try and come up with alternative methods and products for our students.”

The case has not been tried yet in the courts, but Ørgaard says it raises a relevant point and looks forward to a decision and a future guideline that concisely lays out proper procedure. (CW)

“Outrageous” situation in Slagelse as patients and hospitals nationwide adjust to new rules

J

ust how injured do you have to be to get admitted to receive emergency attention at a hospital when you haven’t called ahead?

That’s the question Preben Johansson from Slagelse is asking after his 56-year-old-wife, Lisbeth Johansson, was injured when she was hit by a car while cycling.

She injured her head and had pains in her shoulder, but upon her arrival to the Slagelse Accident and Emergency (A&E), she was denied help because she hadn’t called the emergency phone line (akuttelefonen) to make an appointment in advance, as the rules stipulate.

Since neither her or her husband had a mobile phone on them, the nurse suggested that Preben Johansson could borrow a phone so he could go outside and make the call and get referred to the A&E. Otherwise Lisbeth Johansson, who it turned out had a broken shoulder, wouldn’t be able to get in.

“It seemed very outrageous, and we were frankly quite shocked about that reception,” Preben Johansson said. “It was just shortly before that I had received a call from the driver who

‘Acute’ telephone lines

• All five regions have acute telephone lines except the Region of Southern Denmark, which plans to add one.

• The phones are answered by specially-trained nurses who give people advice on what to do or where to seek help when they’re injured or ill.

• Despite the name of the phone, you still have to call 1-1-2 in cases of acute illness or injuries.

• In Region Zealand the acute line (7015 0708) has existed for six months, and you have to call it before showing up at had hit her and then I drove her directly to the A&E. It seems extremely inflexible to hold on to the rules like that.”

Region Zealand has introduced the acute phone line, which is answered by the health staff who then refer the patients to the A&E or redirect them to a doctor.

Region Zealand’s regional chairman, Steen Bach Nielsen, said he regretted the incident.

“The staff have to react to individual situations,” he said. “It’s not up to me to say if it was right or wrong in this specific case, because I wasn’t there. We need time to adjust to the new rules, as do citizens. But it’s always re-

the A&E. • In the Capital Region, the acute line (1813) was introduced on January 30 and receives approximately 600 calls a day.

• The acute line has already received a lot of complaints, among other from the Consumer Council, which has claimed it was illegal for anyone other than a doctor to make a diagnosis – something the National Board of Health has rejected. The national medical association Lægeforeningen has also criticised the acute lines, saying that they could confuse patients.

grettable when our patients have a bad experience.”

Nielsen conceded he could understand the couple’s frustration over the reception.

“I understand it,” he said.

“But it’s one bad situation out of many, and problems rarely occur. The new arrangement seems quite reasonable. The number of patients who need to go to the emergency room has decreased by 20 percent.

The staff is happy to use their efforts where there’s the biggest need and the patients who get their problems solved over the phone are happy because they don’t have to go the emergency room.” (J-P)

Provincial Denmark to receive funding boost

P

oor councils are to receive an additional 400 million kroner a year according to the government’s proposal to alter the current redistribution of council funds.

In addition to block grants from the government, Danish councils raise their own taxes, though much of it is redistributed so that councils burdened with large infrastructure plans, high unemployment or a dwindling tax base are not left to fend for themselves.

The economy minister, Margrethe Vestager, presented the proposal in parliament on Wednesday and said it was important to more evenly redistribute funding so that poor councils can afford expensive programmes.

“It is important that the equalisation system takes the

expenses of special welfare programmes into account,” Vestager said. “Ensuring that marginalised children are given the help that they need is a national responsibility. It is important that councils who have the task of helping these children experience a solidarity with other councils who can help them pay the bills.”

Vestager also said the proposal would address distribution issues with the government’s employment subsidy. Currently, some councils in Copenhagen and eastern Zealand end up with a surplus of 177 million kroner in subsidies, while those in northern Jutland lose 95 million kroner a year through paying the benefits.

“We need to fix the system so that subsidies are distributed in a way that fully compensates councils for their expenses from unemployment benefits, as it was

originally intended,” Vestager said.

Langeland Council is one of the 67 councils that will benefit from the government’s plan. Its mayor, Karsten Nielsen, said the changes were welcome.

“We have long fought for social redistribution and it seems the government has listened to what we have been saying,” Nielsen told DR. “Langeland faces many social problems. I think it’s reasonable that there is greater redistribution.”

The increased redistribution has to be paid for, however, meaning many wealthy councils will have to part with more of their tax revenue.

“We hand over 92 percent of our tax revenue for redistribution to other councils. It’s not equalisation, it’s confiscation,” Hans Toft, the mayor of the wealthy council of Gentofte, told DR. (PS)

Online this week Danish police tip-off led to arrest in US child porn case

Police uncover large weapons cache

Rental prices explode while housing sales fall

A tip-off from the Danish national police, Rigspolitiet, has led to the arrest of an American man wanted internationally for sex crimes against a child. Believing that an online video showing an adult male molesting a young boy had originated in North America, Rigspolitiet informed US officials, who then released

The police’s gang unit raided a series of cellar storage rooms last week on Thursday on Forbindelsesvej in Copenhagen, resulting in the confiscation of a large quantity of weapons and explosives. Police discovered about 20 pistols, three machine guns, at least ten semi-automatic and regular rifles, weapons parts,

As house prices continue to plummet across Denmark, the cost of rental properties is going up. A recent survey conducted

by Boligportal.dk for Politiken newspaper revealed that the rent of an average three-bedroom apartment has increased

a photo of the suspect. US officials where then able to identify and arrest 36-year-old Timothy Valdez of Modesto, California.

Valdex will now stand trial in a US federal court. The recent development comes in the wake of a European-wide bust last year that led to the arrest of 19 men in Denmark on child porn charges.

several functioning grenades, about two kilograms of TNT explosives, detonators, fuses, about 25 kilograms of gunpowder and large quantities of ammunition.

The arrest of a 50-year-old man connected to the storage rooms led to the discovery of additional ammunition, rifles and weapons parts at his address.

by 15 percent in Copenhagen and 20 percent in Aarhus since 2007. During the same period, the price of buying a residential property has decreased by 22 percent – the biggest dip in the last 70 years.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

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OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

THOMAS A

Michelin matters for Patience is the order of the day in the Middle East growth of key industry

D

ANISH FOOD has come a long way since its contribution to world cuisine was canned ham, open-faced sandwiches and the Danish, all washed down by a Carlsberg or a glass of schnapps.

Nowadays, Copenhagen, at least, can lay claim to a plateful of gourmet accolades: 14 Michelin stars, the ‘World’s Best Restaurant’ and the ‘World’s Best Chef ’. It’s also the seat of the Nordic food movement, which most recently earned Noma chef René Redzepi a spot on the cover of Time.

For those not interested in unripe sloe berries or a dish of pickled vegetables and bone marrow, it’s easy to dismiss Danish haute cuisine in the same way the majority of us reject the eccentricities of haute couture. Just like concept cars at an auto show, many of these dishes or outfits will never wind up in the mainstream, but that’s not their ambition. Their aim is to expand our idea of what’s worth driving, eating and wearing.

In the case of the Nordic kitchen, the University of Copenhagen is engaged in a 100 million kroner study looking at ways to improve the health of children through better eating. Better in this case being Nordic, of course.

Despite the urge to write off such studies as an attempt by academics to ride on the coattails of successful entrepreneurs, it’s worth noting that their efforts could add energy to an important sector of the economy.

In Copenhagen alone, spending on food by all travellers amounts to 8.1 billion kroner annually. And when it comes to fine dining, people are willing to spend time – and money – chasing after the latest trend, and right now many are finding Denmark is worth a special journey.

When it comes to everyday dining, the impact on the economy is even larger: food and agriculture remains the country’s largest export sector, bringing in 100 billion kroner in foreign revenue each year.

Patriotic quibbles about whether Noma got cheated out of its third star may come off as being a petty First World problem, but given the economic potential tied to bolstering the country’s reputation, it could be a multi-billion kroner snub.

Why does Noma’s third star matter? Because Denmark doesn’t do tapas. Because you’re not going to find a quaint neighbourhood bistro, trattoria or pub, and because no-one is ever going to mix up pickled herring with sushi. When it comes to global food reputations, Denmark is banking on exclusivity, and in gourmet circles, neither Time nor multiple ‘World’s’ carry more weight than that additional little star.

VILLY SØVNDAL

W

HAT CRITERIA should we use to judge the developments in the Middle East? The question is made relevant by the rapid changes sweeping through Libya, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia and other countries in the region. Can we demand, let alone expect, that these countries – in the midst of violent and dramatic social upheaval, and after years of repression by brutal dictators – can suddenly meet Danish standards for law, justice, human rights, liberty and wellfunctioning democracy?

The answer is a resounding “no”. Would we like that to be the case? Yes, of course. That’s what the whole thing is about.

But right now? It’d be incredibly naive to think it could happen.

If we hold them up to our standards, we’re bound to be disappointed, and I feel it would also

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This is what many Muslims in the west do - they use ethnical, religious pressure and law fare to get what they want. Everyone knows that pork, alcohol, etc is used in a professional kitchen. Just don’t enlist, pick another profession. But of course the Danes will change all the rules and bend over backwards to appease. What is next? Separate schools for girls and boys, Arabic as a second language at schools?

Apex by website The timing of this (soon after a vaguely similar case in Sweden) does make me a little suspicious.

Cliff Arroyo By website A vegetarian or vegan would likely not even touch the meat, much less cook it or taste it. One doesn’t need to do these things to an ingredient to learn how to cook it.

Nicole Grzeskowiak By website Church bells to ring for gays and lesbians I am not a religious person, but am still appalled at the idea that politicians are allowed to run the church. Separate church and state!

Thorvaldsen By website

www.cphpost.dk

resembling an election are all at least 60. Seen in that light, I’m not surprised by the violence we’ve seen after Gaddafi’s fall.

Anything else would have been surprising. It’s my impression that despite the significant problems the country faces, the pace of change has been steadier than could have been hoped for just six months ago.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, the killings continue in Syria. The Syrian government’s violence against its own people is utterly unacceptable. I understand people’s rationale that if we were willing to intervene in Libya, we should also do so in Syria. The situation in Syria though is a different one, and that limits our room to manoeuvre. Let me make it clear though: the international community is doing what it can to help the Syrians. We have imposed broad sanctions, the Arab League has pushed for a political solution, and the members of the Friends of Syria group are standing together to put pressure on the government. Having foreign militaries get involved, though, is not an option for a number of reasons: the opposition in Syria is fractious and its people are more diverse than in Libya. Also influencing the decision is the inability of the Security Council to come to an agreement. Two permanent members – China, and, to an even larger extent, Russia – have chosen not to play a constructive role in helping to

pressure the Syrian government.

What also needs to be considered is that Syria is a microcosm of the Middle East with all its contradictions, conflicts, intrigues and conspiracy theories. I share the scepticism of American and European foreign ministers that military intervention is a viable solution, given the likelihood that it could drag out into a protracted civil war that would destabilise the entire region.

That’s why I believe Denmark, the EU and the majority of the world’s countries are doing the right thing. We continue to tighten the screws, ratchet up the political pressure and impose stricter sanctions. In recent weeks, we’ve seen the vice-oil minister and others defect from the Syrian government. We’re not seeing as many as we did in Libya, but they show that the Assad regime faces rising dissatisfaction with its violent reaction.

This is something we shouldn’t cry over. Syria, though, will continue to be beset by a myriad of complicated problems long after Assad is gone. Once again, patience is the order of the day.

There is a Danish adage that says you know what you have, you don’t know what you get. We shouldn’t let that apply in this situation, because what the Libyans and the Syrians had was horrid. Now, at least, they have the hope of a better life. And that is what they are fighting for.

The author is the foreign minister.

READER COMMENTS All’s halal that ends halal for Muslim cook

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

be deeply unfair to the people of these countries.

What we can do – and what we are doing – is to do our best to encourage developments to move in the right direction, support those who want to make a positive contribution, strengthen civil society, and provide expertise in areas like the rule of law, human rights and gender equality. We also need to criticise abuse, torture, and ethnic and religious persecution, and encourage the international community to take collective measures to address these problems. We also need to be realistic and patient.

This is going to take time.

Even just a few months ago, no-one could have expected what is happening right now.

But, before we get on our high horse about the uprising and its fallout in Libya, may I gently point out that we in Europe underwent a dramatic process of retribution after the Second World War. In Denmark, we retroactively implemented capital punishment, and many men and women, guilty or otherwise, were publicly humiliated. Some even lost their lives after the conflict officially ended. And this is precisely the point: Denmark in 1945 was already an established democracy. The occupation lasted five years. In Libya, a country without any democratic traditions to begin with, they lived under a dictator for 42 years.

Those Libyans who have experienced anything even closely

Denmark is behind Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden

in allowing same sex marriages.

No doubt due to the inactivity and antipathy of those in power over the previous ten years.

George_Moon By website

common in Denmark. Danish researchers ask questions in a way that leads to respondents giving specific answers.

Mnydk By website

so again it makes sense to me to take care of the regulations before riding the streets. Specially being a foreigner anywhere.

Roberto JD By website

Why should homosexuals have a right to marry in places of worship that have religious principles opposing homosexuality?

Jeg_er By website

Cycling fines a big moneymaker in co-ordinated crackdown

Viral Kony 2012 campaign finds both supporters and detractors in Denmark

Government opens debate over future of welfare state Once again, I’m baffled. How is the country with the highest taxes in the world not coping financially? They’re taxing practically everything and at the highest amount they can; they’re talking about taxing more things and at the same time they’re complaining they can’t afford to support their citizens?

Shufflemoomin By website Tone of immigration debate has improved – or has it?

Dream on. Prejudice dies hard and is inherited too. Don’t rely on DR and TV2 to reflect popular attitudes.

Danishriviera By website Only immigrants are the right target group to investigate. Asking Danish companies make no sense. This is distorted research conducting research in a manner that gives desired outcomes is very

“We can’t force people to obey the law so let’s change the law to let them do it anyway”? No, harsher punishments are what these people deserve, not the right to do as they please. Fine them hard. Three fines in a year, take their bike on the spot. Keep increasing the punishment until they learn. It’s idiocy to say the fines are too expensive.

Don’t break the law and you don’t have to worry about how high the fines are.

Shufflemoomin By website I do, as a Copenhagen citizen and a tax payer, contribute to the establishment and maintenance of cycle paths. Why would I need registration, license or safety-check as a bicyclist? If you would like people to stop driving their bicycles, that would be a great method.

And that would produce 500,000 people in need of another means of transportation every single day.

Fnjfrancis By website In most countries not knowing the rules doesn’t exempt you from abiding to them. This means you must actually inform yourself. A bicycle is a vehicle by any means,

KONY 2012 appeals to the vapid consumer idiots who don’t know anything and don’t ask any questions. It’s a joke. It’s political naiveté they tap, not activism.

Nilbud By website I studied human and war crimes and I truly believe that Kony has to be placed in front of a jury for his crimes. But I also know that those children will suffer and hate for the rest of their lives. Kony needs to be arrested; those children need to know that they are free.

Stefanie Cervantes By website Do it in the nude: public pools offer naked swimming Naturism is about body acceptance, not “seeing each other’s ugly and beautiful bodies”. Denmark is to be commended for such a forward and tolerant view toward naturism. It is a healthy lifestyle that encourages respect for others, respect for oneself, and an appreciation of nature, healthy living and body acceptance. We should have such progressive views in the US. Bill Schroer By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

9

‘The Lynch Report’

BY STUART LYNCH English-Australian theatre director Stuart Lynch has lived in Copenhagen since Clinton impeached his cigars and writes from the heart of the Danish and international theatre scene. He is married with kids and lives in Nørrebro. Visit his Danish theatre at www.lynchcompany.dk.

Danish sex, Jack Daniels and equality CÆCILIE PARFELT VENGBERG / WWW.VINDFANG.BLOGSPOT.COM

T

HESE GIRLS just use moving in for the kill. She asked me,” said my new friend him if he had seen the new film of 42 seconds. “They treat ‘Shame’. He said no. She smiled, took and finished the Jack from me like a piece of meat.”

So spoke the latest victim his trembling fingers, and they of the great Danish female sex left the bar.

I thoroughly enjoy Dandrive, a feeling-sorry-for-himself, English 25-year-old bent over a ish sex. I enjoy its freedom and Jack Daniels shot glass in a bar the equality I experience that it in Nørrebro. After three months yields. I further enjoy the freeof life and sex in Copenhagen, dom of Danish women to engage he told me, he was tired. “Why in strong, healthy and proactive sexual relations without fear of don’t they just want to cuddle?”

I laughed. I recalled my own moralisation and patriarchal youth. And I remembered I censor. I am married and no liked the situation very much for longer engage in the full-frontal hedonism of three distinct Danish city sex, reasons: I have but I very much heard this exact appreciate livsame pity-filled ing in a country complaint on I started to console where it occurs. five occasions in I like it that as many years; him, but the in Denmark a I find it very conversation did not woman’s choice amusing to hear about her own a man com- last. A particularly body and sexual plain about the ferocious but habits are her same treatment choice and her women regu- friendly and smiling choice alone. larly endure and 20-something was Danish sex have endured is a yah boo since time im- moving in for the kill sucks in the face memorial; and of the Sodom that the liquor of choice for the depressed and and Gomorrah pushers who existentially challenged is, was would have one believe that a strong female sexual appetite will and always will be Jack Daniels.

I started to console him, but leave a society bereft, empty and the conversation did not last. A dramatically falling into the fiery particularly ferocious but friend- pits. Look around. It does not. ly and smiling 20-something was In fact it is quite the opposite.

Look at the countries currently permitting extremist views on sexual censorship, sexism and the rights of homosexuals. Almost without exception you will find that these countries are also ones of discord and disharmony.

I propose that a sexually satisfied and sexually complete woman –

and by extension, satisfied man – creates a complete and satisfied country.

However, before the back slapping begins, I should point out that even Denmark is no feminist Shangri La. Whilst the rule of law and social structure constitutionally supports the

equality of women, one need only read some of the questions the media have asked Denmark´s first female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt: “How do you balance family life with work?”, “What is your favorite perfume?” and “Is the stress getting to you?” Were any of the

previous male PMs ever asked such questions? The answer is no, or at least rarely. The questioning of and posturing towards Thorning-Schmidt is an ongoing interrogation of her ability to lead, and therefore a woman’s ability to lead.

My previous article was about Anders Brievik and how artists deserve the same right to comment on the issues of the day as politicians and the media.

The article was short and I could not include an important point: that a major part of Brievik’s sick manifesto was that it was deeply anti-female. It is interesting to observe that the media for the best part chose to ignore this, and along with the politicians mostly reported on Brievik’s views on the division between Muslims and Christians – the manifesto’s ‘enemy at the gates’ propaganda. Fear sells papers and gets votes. Women’s rights and female empowerment does not, even in Scandinavia. My fervent wish and hope is that this changes and that Danish sexual freedom and mores become stronger.

Back at the bar, I can report I met that same man there exactly one week later. He is now very happy. It turns out that the ferocious ‘she’ was in fact a ‘he’ and my new friend of one week had had a happy realisation about his own closet.

CPH POST VOICES

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English by nature – Danish at heart.

Freelance journalist Richard Steed has lived in Copenhagen for nearly five years now. “I love this city and want Copenhagen to be a shining example to the rest of the world.”

A proud native of the American state of Iowa, Justin Cremer has been living in Copenhagen since June 2010. In addition to working at the CPH Post, he balances fatherhood, the Danish language and the ever-changing immigration rules. Follow him at twitter.com/justincph

Born in 1942 on the Isle of Wight, Englishman Frank Theakston has been in Copenhagen 32 years and is on his second marriage, this time to a Dane. Frank comes from a different time and a different culture – which values are the right ones today?

Clare MacCarthy is Nordic correspondent for The Economist and a frequent contributor to The Financial Times and The Irish Times. She’ll go anywhere from the Gobi Desert to the Arctic in search of a story. The most fascinating thing about Denmark, she says, is its contradictions.

10 News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

23 - 29 March 2012 Colourbox

Expat turns friends into headhunters with 10,000kr Facebook finder fee Malene Ørsted Jobs for Jeffrey: how finding this American employment before Labour Day could make you 10,000 kroner richer

T

ime is running out for Jeffrey Hunter. He’s a man on a mission and day-zero is May 1. Before him are two options: find a job or leave the country. Tick tock, tick tock.

This might explain why he has taken the drastic action of setting up a Facebook page promising 10,000 kroner to the person who gives him the tip-off that leads to him getting hired.

“I know the value of social media, which is why I used Facebook,” he said.

Hunter is certainly not the first person who has had to deal with this specific problem, but it’s a safe bet that few before him have offered a finder’s fee on Facebook as an active part of their rescue plan to stay in Denmark.

The idea, Hunter believes, will help him find the jobs that aren’t advertised, and at the same time show off his creative side.

“I’m getting desperate,” he said. “I got this crazy idea one night to offer 10,000 kroner to the person whose tip-off leads to the right job. I sat on it for a few days, and then just went for it. I’ve spent 10,000 kroner in worse ways.”

At the moment he is stuck in a bind. Since he doesn’t have a master’s degree, he can’t get a green card, and because he worked for only three years – and not the required four – before being laid off, he doesn’t qualify for permanent residence either.

The fact that he’s American only makes the situation more difficult, as the government only approves jobs for non-EU residents when there is a shortage of qualified workers or when the annual salary exceeds 375,000 kroner (31,250 kroner a month).

“This usually means that the job has to require native English.

I can’t work in a café or shop, for example,” Hunter said.

The reason behind this is that the former government only wanted to attract foreigners who were highly-qualified, according to Ulla Fokdal, a spokesperson for the Danish Agency for Labour Retention and Internation-

How the LA Times pictures the Danish countryside

Hunter and his dog Butch, who also has a Facebook page but isn’t actively seeking employment

Dutch pastries and double Danish Ben Hamilton

Factfile | Residence and work permits There are different rules and schemes to make it easier for highly qualified professionals to get residence and work permits in Denmark. Here are a few of them: al Recruitment.

“An alternative to the Pay Limit Scheme is the ‘Positive List’ that consists of a list of fields that are experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals,” she said.

“So it’s not enough to just go out and find a job as a cleaning lady.”

Though Hunter hasn’t had any specific problems with the Immigration Service, he doesn’t understand why the rules are so strict.

“If people are searching for government-approved jobs, and they can support themselves, and they take no public assistance, I don’t understand why they can’t stay as long as it takes,” he said.

“I don’t understand what time has to do with anything.”

Hunter has applied for many jobs, but with upwards of 150 applicants for the positions he’s qualified for, he feels that Danish rivals always seem to have an advantage.

“I’ve made it to a few final rounds, and was twice told that

it could’ve just as easily been me, but they chose to go with a Dane,” he said. “I think foreigners are always up against that bias.”

In the Facebook group, almost 100 people have so far shown their interest, and many of them have tried to help out, and he remains hopeful that his horse will come in.

“I love the streets, the buildings, the colours, the people.

The girls on bikes. The lifestyle, the opinions, the progressiveness. The summer houses. The self-sufficiency. The way everything works.”

With little more than a month to go, Hunter is keeping his spirits up with the support on Facebook.

“In just a couple days I’ve got 90 likes and countless shares.

I’ve got many tips, and I’ve already had two interviews directly due to this. People have been great. Maybe this is the only way to look for jobs.”

The Positive List: if your professional field is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals.

The Pay Limit scheme: if you get a job with an annual salary above 375,000kr.

The Corporate scheme: if you work for a company whose headquarters are outside Denmark then you can work for one of the company’s Danish subsidiaries, or even its parent or sister company.

The Green Card scheme: if you are a highly qualified professional you can come to Denmark in order to seek work and then subsequently receive a work permit.

Other: different rules apply for specific groups of people including researchers, trainees, athletes, religious workers and the self-employed.

How a Los Angeles newspaper remains unconvinced that the Netherlands and Denmark are not the same country

I

t won’t surprise many Americans to learn that the Los Angeles Times had to publish an apology this week after mixing up the Danish and the Dutch. “A March 9 op-ed about the erosion of free-speech protections referred to a controversy over 2005 cartoons that satirised the prophet Mohammed,” read the correction.

“Those cartoons were Danish, not Dutch.”

Every American resident in Denmark has the same story.

“So you live in Denmark?” they’re asked when they return home. “How’s your Dutch coming along?” Despite the heavy Danish migration to the States in the 19th and 20th centuries, the drummer from Metallica, and the pastries, it would appear that most Americans still think that Sylvester Stallone’s second wife comes from Amsterdam.

But it might shock a few to discover that this is the newspaper’s seventh such error in just six years. A commenter on the website thought the apology had an air of familiarity and did

some research. It turned into a fruitful search: Mistake number two: in a review of an opera ‘Anna Nicole’ in February 2011, soprano EvaMaria Westbroek was described as Danish. Westbroek is Dutch.

Mistake number three: a September 2010 piece made a reference to a 1950s-era wooden monkey by Dutch designer Kay Bojesen. Bojesen was Danish.

Mistake number four: an article in November 2009 said that actor Viggo Mortensen is from Dutch parentage. No, he’s not.

Mistake number five: an article in September 2009 about a bicycle shop said they sell Danish bikes. No they don’t.

Mistake number six: an article in December 2006 misidentified the newspaper behind the Mohammed cartoons as Dutch.

Wrong again.

Mistake number seven: an article in October 2006 about the premiere of a documentary about Karen Blixen described her as Dutch. No, although Meryl Streep is of Dutch descent.

“The pattern defies explanation,” Henry Fuhrmann, the newspaper’s assistant managing editor, conceded via the newspaper’s website.

“Errors of this sort are always a good reminder that we can be more diligent. We truly have nothing against the Danes or the Dutch.”

Online this week Additional Iraqis sue state over torture

Prison inspector fights for Greenlanders’ rights

New defence chief named

Three additional Iraqis are suing Denmark for damages stemming from their treatment at the hands of Iraqi police after being handed over by Danish soldiers in 2004. The Iraqis’ lawyer, Christian Harlang, is seeking 50,000 kroner in compensation for each of his clients, according to Politiken. The newest case is in addi-

A prison inspector has continued to speak out about the violation of rights of Greenlandic prisoners in Danish jails, despite being reprimanded by senior members of the Danish prison and probation service, Kriminalforsorgen.

Because Greenland has no permanent jails, about twenty Greenlanders

Brigadier general Peter Bartram has been chosen as the new defence chief. Bartram 50, was based in the US as assistant chief-of-staff at the NATO Allied Command, but now takes over the reigns at the top military post in Denmark. PM Helle Thorn-

tion to six Iraqis who are suing the state in connection with the same incident. Harlang anticipates that the cases of all nine Iraqis will be rolled into one class action suit to be heard by the Eastern High Court in November. The Iraqis say that they were beaten, hung from hooks and electrocuted by Iraqi police forces.

are currently serving sentences in Herstedvester prison, where prison inspector Hans Jørgen Elbo works. Elbo has come out against the practice of flying Greenlanders to Danish jails to serve their sentences, arguing that it is a “clear violation of human rights” because it makes it impossible to maintain family relationships.

ing-Schmidt said that Bartram’s versatile background is ideal for modifying the military. The position had become available after the former defence chief, Knud Bartels, moved to NATO to take over as head of the alliance’s military committee.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

11

Behold the leg-ends of St Patrick: leg-tied and oh so legless

BY MIKE HOFMAN

Exactly 600 people participated in this year’s annual St Patrick’s Day three-legged charity race on Saturday – they had to turn away nearly 200 people due to safety issues – raising over 45,000kr for three different charities: the Danish Hospital Clowns (Danske Hospitalsklovne), the St Francis Hospice, and the Cambodian Children’s Advocacy Foundation. The race was won in an incredible time of 17 minutes, whilst the slowest team took over two hours to reach the finish

Danes mingling with the Americans: Thor Madsen, Shaun Lynch, Maja Bruhn and Sam Stougaard

A Garda officer from the Irish police force was there to fine everyone for drinking in public. Smart move, Ireland; your national debts will be paid off in no time

Turns out that the only two gingers participating in the race were Danish. What a shame

Ireland’s finest: Shona Aagesen and Maibrir Persson

Among those present were Nixxi, Lord, Yoni and Josh from the US – and two photo crashers

“Na zdrowie,” chorused Katarzyna Socha, Grzegorz Milcarz Marcin Ruszkiewicz, Bartosz Polanczyk, Marcelina Dutkiewicz and Małgorzata Socha – all from Poland

They put their own lives in danger, all for charity, of course

12

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

(UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)

The Irish ambassador Brendan Scannell marked St Patrick’s Day two days early last week on Thursday (see page 11 for other coverage) with a reception at his residence. Pictured here (left-right) are John Nolan, the CEO of the Steno Diabetes Centre in Gentofte, Joe Costello, the Irish minister for trade and development, and Scannell.

The British ambassador Nick Archer is busy preparing for a visit of Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who will be in Scandinavia from Saturday until next Tuesday. Here he is briefing the media about the itinerary.

Ahead of their planned event in Copenhagen this summer, over 50 internationals on March 8 attended a gathering of Entrepreneurship in Denmark (www. entrepreneurshipindenmark.dk) in Aarhus, ‘Considering entrepreneurship? – Keep the passion and drive’, to learn more about starting a business. Among the speakers was EiD’s Mogens Thomsen (pictured right). Photos: Lisbet Friis Møller

Oh lucky man! Nicolai Wammen, the minister for European affairs, was the guest of the dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena, to meet all of the city’s female ambassadors. Pictured here (left-right) are Cuban ambassador Caridad Yamira Cueto Milian, Pakistani ambassador Fauzia Abbas, the chief of protocol Jette Nordam, Swedish ambassador Inga Eriksson Fogh, US ambassador Laurie S Fulton, Serbian ambassador Vida Ognjenovic, Wammen, Bárcena, Estonian ambassador Katrin Kivi, Moroccan ambassador Raja Ghannam, Benin ambassador Arlette Claudine Rita Dagnon Vignikin, Finnish ambassador Ritva Maarit Jalava, South African ambassador Samkelisiwe Isabel Mhlanga, Ghanaian ambassador Hajia Fati Habib-Jawulaa, and the Ivory Coast’s ambassador Mina Balde Laurent.

AN ACTOR ’S LIFE

A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company, and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casanova, Oscar Wilde and Tony Hancock.

The Mexican ambassador Martha Bárcena (left) was among the guests at the opening of ‘Lanscapes’, an exhibition of watercolours by Danish artist Marie-Louise van Doesburgh (right) that recently opened at the Mexican Culture Center in Hellerup. Van Doesburgh actually has a strong Mexican connection – her great-great-grandfather Carl Emil Moltke was among those who signed the Mexican Declaration of Independence.

The launch of a new monthly newspaper called Opinionen was celebrated with a reception at the Marriott Hotel. Pictured here are Turkish ambassador Ahmet Berki Dibek, former minister Bertel Haarder, and Opinionen’s editor Jens Stensgaard Jakobsen.

W

ELL DEAR reader, our lat- I get home I’m going to read more est and original production Shakespeare,” and “Shakespeare will ‘Shakespeare Unplugged’ never be dull again.” Tick those ‘jobhas surpassed my hopes. done’ boxes then eh?

As I write this, we’ve sold 90 percent Of course, you can’t please eveof our tickets and I feel that we have ryone, and the only reviewer from a a piece of magic on our hands. This Danish newspaper who came in didn’t seldom happens to this extent in my like our concept of setting Shakespeare experience, and I’m hoping that we in a pub with the audience on stage as a theatre company with us, calling it “lowcan find some support budget” and “Shaketo enable us to take this speare for Beginners”. production on a tour of The night she was there Denmark and Skåne. roof was raised with The night she was the Maybe even beyond? laughter, but she had a This show would grace there the roof was face like a slapped arse. any Shakespeare festival Possibly not serious or anywhere in the world. raised with laughter, reverential enough for You can tell that I’m but she had a face her taste, but I can’t help proud of it can’t you? feeling that she missed Many people have like a slapped arse the point. travelled from deepest The general lack of darkest Jutland to come and see us in mainstream coverage we receive is a big Østerbro. There’s an audience for mak- source of irritation for me. We’re trying Shakespeare accessible and joyous ing to give this city theatre of an interit seems. Some of the best comments national standard with little financial I’ve had thus far are: “I didn’t realise support, but critics, who I know are Shakespeare could be funny,” “When busy, don’t even respond to my invita-

tions. A bit rude. We are invisible then to their readers. Why should I care you may ask if we’ve sold so many tickets?

Well, a bit of recognition would be appreciated in my book. When we produce classics like Pinter or Beckett we get criticised for not doing new plays, and yet when we do original works they don’t show any interest.

Nuff said on that. I’ve had my public rant and sort of understand why we’re off the radar: after all we play in English. But if Copenhagen really wants to consider itself to be remotely international, they ought to try harder to support good productions that are home-grown as t’were. We employ many Scandinavian actors and play to many Danes. We ain’t just a cosy little ‘expat’ society theatre.

I’ll enjoy the remainder of this run until March 24 and see what happens in the future. A case of watch this space methinks.

Shakespeare Unplugged is currently playing at Krudttønden theatre in Østerbro.

For more details see page G2 in InOut.

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

13

Walking the city where the streets have no women’s names most pronounced – actually to the extent where men don’t open the doors or pick up the check Tour of Copenhagen on in pure dread of undermining the woman’s authority – the day International Women’s Day might seem a bit redundant. paints the metropolis in a In addition to this, we have more feminine light a female prime minister, who was recently put on the list of the N VOR Frue Square, in 150 most powerful women in the front of the University world, and more women at uniof Copenhagen, a group versity than men. But it wasn’t alof women are gathering. ways like this, which is something The sun has just broken through we’re obviously aware of, but how the clouds, and there’s a posi- much do we really know? Who, tive vibe emanating through the for instance, was the first woman crowd that are preparing to take a to get a university degree in Denwalk around the city, but not just mark? And why aren’t there any statues of womany walk. en around the A woman city? These are dressed in black just some of the from top to toe, fidgeting with Do you notice anything questions that the woman in a wallet, smiles black, historian and greets new- particular about the comers with an square? It only contains Nina Søndergaard from Nerd anxious “Hej Tours, answers.

– are you here statues of men.

Despite tarfor the walking tour?” Maybe she’s a bit nerv- geting men, women and transous as this is the first time she’s sexuals over the age of 15, the doing this particular historical turn-up only consists of women, walk around the city, of which of which the majority are in the the focus is women in the public older age range, but also a few are in their 30s, including a gensphere.

It’s March 8 and Interna- der researcher and a couple, who tional Women’s Day – a day out of the bunch seem to be the celebrated across the world to most comfortably dressed in emphasise women’s rights. Liv- jeans, flats, and a few colourful ing in a Western society and accessories.

“Do you notice anything paralso one of the countries in the world where equal rights are the ticular about the square?” Søn-

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Dinner out with EPWN RizRaz, St Kannikestræde 19, Cph K; Mon March 26, 19:00; sign up at toniheisterberg@cis.dk, www.europeanpwn.net Join the European Professional Women’s Network for their monthly dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant RizRaz. Sign up online or send an email to toniheisterberg@cis.dk.You have to pay for your meal.

t Guide | 16 - 22 Sep

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Dane unable to obtain family girlfriend reunification for his Thai Catch-22 says residency rules are a

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OVIE FEST IS

Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell? new National coach Morten Olsen’s job in the contract will keep him Cup. until after the 2014 World

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group, although they might just be struggling to keep up.

Another location on the tour is Nina Bang’s Square – named after the world’s first female government minister (1924-26).

This remarkable woman distanced herself from the women’s rights movement as her fight wasn’t about gender but class.

Saying that, there’s nothing remarkable about this square.

“You would think they had better taste in the ‘70s,” one of the women observes as she sits

COMING UP SOON

ILLUSTRATION BY PETER

Denmark’s only English-language

Issue 44 4 - 10 November 2011 | Vol 14

dergaard asks the group. “It only contains statues of men.” And then we’re off into the history of women and lack of women acknowledged in the public sphere.

After the first session of historical anecdotes, the tour officially begins, and you have to keep up as Søndergaard walks at a steady pace, at which some women succeed better than others.

Through the small streets of inner Copenhagen, new stories cast familiar locations in a new light, like the random house on

InOut

ISRAEL

7 - 20 NOVEMBER 2011

FROM SCHÜTZ TO GEIST 1600-1700 Early German Baroque Music

The group took time to reflect at Nina Bang’s Square, which is named after the world’s first ever female government minister

down on the bench to rest her feet – the pace has continued to be brisk. Another woman dressed in a heavy fur coat, orange glasses and leather gloves reveals that her friend’s mother was the first woman to be elected onto a city council somewhere in Jutland – information that even the tour guide didn’t know.

As we continue the tour through the history of remarkable women, visiting Damehotellet (the lady hotel) and the first mixed gender dorm, gender separation becomes a topic of debate.

Someone points out that in Japan women have their own train carriage in some places – another observes that at least it wouldn’t smell.

And then it’s off to the Kvindehuset (women’s house) museum, where most of the women on the tour become nostalgic about the colourful home-knitted clothing on display. “Ohh, I had all of these,” a very excited woman says about some of the woman’s magazines with knitting guides.

The museum is a reminder of the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s, which many of the women on the tour remember with an obvious nostalgic fondness. They burnt their bras and grew their hair long – it’s just a shame not more of the younger generation want to hear about the difference they made to today’s society.

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Lunch with Kristian Durhuus Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Hammerichsgade 1, Cph V; Fri March 23, 12:45; free adm; www.bccd. dk The British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark is organising a lunch with Kristian Durhuus, the vice-president of operations at Copenhagen Airports. He has extensive international experience from eight years in the airport industry, where he has worked for both Swissair Group as well as Lufthansa in different capacities.

International Book Club Nørrebro Bibliotek, Bragesgade 8b, Cph N; Wed March 28, 17:00; free adm; www.bibliotek. kk.dk/biblioteker/norrebro This book club is for everybody who enjoys reading fiction in Danish, English, Arabic, German or French. No special skills are required except the desire to read and discuss books. There is no need to sign up.

EiD March Social The Avenue Hotel, Åboulevard 29, Frederiksberg; Wed March 28, 18:00; free adm; sign up at www. expatindenmark.com Meet fellow expats and Danish professionals at EiD’s monthly social event. You are welcome to bring along a family member, friend or colleague.

EcoMobility 2012 – Conference on Sustainable Transportation Copenhagen Business School, Dalgas Have 15, Frederiksberg; Tue March 27, 09:00; free adm; www.oresundecomobility.org The speakers will talk about their visions for sustainable transport in the Øresund region, green transport, and green distribution in central Copenhagen.

Workshop: create your dream board Søndermarkskolen, Hoffmeyersvej 32, Frederiksberg; Wed March 28; 18:00; 75kr; sign up at info@ spousecare.dk Take the opportunity to look within yourself and let your deepest wishes and desires come out through a dream board (also called a vision board). Isabelle Valentine, founder of the Montessori International Preschool, will conduct this event. All you need to do is bring magazines of all types and an open mind. You can sign up by sending an email to info@spousecare.dk.

Start-Up Weekend: Copenhagen Mobility Nokia Headquarters, AC Meyers Vænge 15, Cph SV; Fri March 23 - Sun March 25, 12:00; www. mobilitycopenhagen.startupweekend.org Startup Weekend is an intense 54-hour event that focuses on building a web or mobile application, which could form the basis for a credible business over the course of a weekend.

The weekend brings together people with different skillsets – primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people – to build applications and develop a commercial case around them.

Karen Blixen: An Expatriate Life Hovedbiblioteket, Krystalgade 15, Cph K; Thu March 29; 17:00; free adm; sign up at ZR7F@kff. kk.dk This is the first of several events focused on the literary and cultural contributions of expatriates. The first programme features Karen Blixen, one of Denmark’s most beloved authors. Please register before March 26 by sending an email to ZR7F@kff.kk.dk.

MIKE HOFMAN

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

23 - 29 March 2012

frederiksberg-boldklub.dk

14

sport

Denmark face Germany in their first ever futsal game in April, and then England in their first ever competitive game in May

Old habits, new tactics as Danes finally join the global futsal family Meet the country’s newest national team when they make their international bow in April in Germany

R

onaldo (the fat one) has played it, so have Ronaldinho, Juninho, and Zico, and even the iconic Pele had a dabble once upon a time. They’ve all kicked the ball, nut-megged a defender and probably even done a step-over or two.

It’s not football though, not quite anyways. Futsal is the name of the game and now, finally, Denmark is in the mix as well following the announcement that it will contest its first ever game next month.

The origins of futsal, or fútbol de salon (hall football) in Spanish, can be traced back to the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo in 1930 – the same year and location as the first ever World Cup – when Juan Carlos Ceriani created a five-a-side version of football dedicated to the YMCA youth organisations in the city. The game, played on handball-sized courts, without the use of sidewalls, quickly spread to Brazil where it has flourished and helped develop some of the greatest footballers in history.

Perhaps it is fitting therefore that Denmark’s first national coach, Aroldo Strack, is of Brazilian heritage. He is

ecstatic to be a part of Danish sporting history.

“It is fantastic that I’ve been given the opportunity to contribute to a new Danish national team,” Strack told The Copenhagen Post. “It’s an exciting challenge that I look forward to getting to grips with. It’s wonderful to be a part of making Danish sporting history.”

The new Danish team won’t have a lot of time to practice together, and it will certainly be a baptism of fire as they take on Germany in Lübeck in their first game on April 21, before their first ever competitive game away in England in May. Strack has already picked his initial team and there are some notable faces people may remember. Clement Cliford, who played for FC Copenhagen back in the late 1990s before injuries prematurely ended his professional career, made the team, as did Rasmus Petersen.

Petersen, who is the son of legendary Norwegian coach Egil ‘Drillo’ Olsen, said that it was great news, but it was perhaps a little late in coming.

“Honestly, if I have to be a bit critical, I think the DBU has waited a bit too long in setting up a team,” Petersen told sporten.dk. “The only two countries that did not participate in the qualification for the last European Championships were Denmark and San Marino. I suppose that statistic speaks for itself really.”

Futsal is a very technical game: the lack of space forces players to keep the

ball on the ground mostly, and favour short quick passes and constant movement. The smaller, heavier ball prevents it from bouncing too much and makes it easier to control in the tight environment where players are made to think and act quickly.

Legendary Brazilian 1970 World Cup winner Rivelino has said that playing futsal helped hone his technique and close proximity play. “When you come to play normal football it’s easier if you’ve come from a futsal background,” he once remarked.

Since falling under the FIFA umbrella in 1989, there have been six world cups, of which Brazil have won four and Spain two. The next world cup will be in Thailand in November this year, but Denmark will be unable to qualify for a major competition until the 2014 European Championships.

Futsal has been growing in popularity throughout the world; it’s especially appealing in urban areas where the interest in football is high, but where space and resources are limited.

Japan, for example, has over 300,000 registered futsal players.

On an amateur level in Denmark the sport is on the rise as well. The futsal season here stretches from late November to early March – a period during which the traditional football season in Denmark finds itself deep in its winter hibernation.

Ronaldo (still the fat one) perhaps put it most excellently when he said: “Futsal will always be my first love.”

www.dbu.dk

Christian Wenande

Clement Cliford, formerly of FCK, is among those called up

Factfile | Football vs futsal

Football

Ball size: 5

Players: 11

Substitutions: 3

Goal Size: Large

Side-line restart Throw in

Refs

One ref, two assistants Duration 90 mins

Time-outs None

Goal kicks Yes

Offside Yes

Restarts No time limit

Fouls Unlimited fouling Sin bins None

Slide tackles Yes

Futsal 3 or 4 with reduced bounce 5 Unlimited Similar to handball Kick in One ref, one assistant 48 mins One per team per half No, goalie throws it No Four-second rule Five-foul limit Two-minute sin-bin No

Sports news and briefs Maze’s magic continues

All okay for AGK

Super six for Tom

Cricketers on losing streak

Nobody’s at home

Opening draw for Danes

Michael Maze was the hero for his Russian club UMMC in the second leg of the semi-final of table tennis’s Champions League, beating German champion Bastian Steger in straight sets to take his club through to the final. The win sealed a sorely needed 3-0 defeat of Saarbrücken, which had won the first leg 3-0, and put UMMC through thanks to a 1412 aggregate set superiority.

Danish champions AG Copenhagen look a good bet for the quarter-finals of handball’s Champions League following a comfortable 34-25 defeat of IK Sävehof in Sweden. Mikkel Hansen, the world player of the year for 2011, had a quiet night, scoring just four times in between lots of rest time, while Mads Larsen top scored with six.

The return leg is on Saturday.

Tom Kristensen, 44, and his Audi team-mates were victorious last Saturday in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the opening race of the American Le Mans Series. It was the Dane’s sixth career win – his first came in 1999. The eighttime Le Mans winner, along with Scotland’s Allan McNish and Italy’s Dindo Capello, completed a gruelling 325 laps, four more than their nearest rivals.

Denmark finished bottom of their ICC World Twenty20 qualifying group despite winning their first game against Bermuda last week on Tuesday.

Six successive losses followed, five of which involved the national side losing at least eight of their wickets. Denmark faces a final game against winless Oman on March 22 to avoid walking away with the wooden spoon.

British super middleweight boxer James DeGale will defend his European Boxing Union title at the Nord Arena in Frederikshavn on April 21 ... against Italy’s Cristian Sanavia. The bout’s location is the choice of the purse rights holder, the Italian promotion company Round Zero.

Meanwhile, fellow UK boxer Brian Magee has turned down the chance to fight Mikkel Kessler.

Denmark’s under-17s side on Tuesday night drew 2-2 with Iceland in their first game of the elite round of the European Under-17 Championship, a fourteam group they must win to advance to the finals in Slovenia in May. Their next game is against Lithuania on Thursday, followed

by Scotland on Sunday. Hosts Scotland beat Lithuania 1-0 in the other game.

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

15

SCANPIX/BHENNING BAGGER

Asbestos miners in Cyprus to sue FLSmidth DEN DANSKE DØDSMINE

PETER STANNERS Documentary claims that Danish company did not protect its workers from asbestos, leading to hundreds of deaths

F

Harald Børsting, the chairman of LO, said he was pleased with the deal

Unions to vote on reducing real wages PETER STANNERS Labour organisations agree with employers on agreement that raises salaries less than inflation

T

HE SALARIES of some 500,000 Danes will not keep pace with inflation over the next two years in order to improve the competitiveness of the nation’s workplaces.

This was the result of the latest round of collective bargaining negotiations between representatives of unions and employers that ended on Sunday. If approved by employees this week, the agreement will last from March 2012 until March 2014.

The agreement calls for salaries to rise by between 1.25 percent and 1.5 percent at a time when inflation stands at 2.8 percent annually, meaning relative pay cuts for organised labourers and others whose salary is based on the collective bargaining agreement.

Harald Børsting, the chairman of LO, the organisation that represents 18 different labour unions and more than one

million workers, said that the deal was necessary in order to save Danish jobs.

“I’m very satisfied that we have managed, despite the tough economic situation, to reach a sustainable deal with employers.

The deal increases people’s job security and creates a foundation for increasing employment,” Børsting wrote in a press release.

The confederation of Danish employers, DA, also voiced its support for an agreement it argues will help companies remain competitive.

“Our competitiveness has been reduced in recent years, so it’s important we improve it,” DA managing director Jørn Neergaard Larsen told Politiken newspaper, adding in a press release that Danish companies were facing enormous challenges.

But while the agreement would ask union members to accept reduced buying power, it would also set aside increased funding for schemes to improve the employability of workers as well as their working conditions.

The extra money would pay for better access to training and improve working conditions, both for older employees seeking to reduce their workload, as well as marginalised and low-paid

foreign workers.

“I would especially like to highlight that employees will be given much better educational opportunities if they have been laid off, as well as if they need new qualifications for their work,” Børsting wrote.

But while Denmark’s lowest paid may have to tighten their belts, Politiken reported on Monday that salaries for those in top positions have been rising at a tremendous rate.

According to figures from 25 major businesses, the salaries of their managing directors rose 14.5 percent between 2009 and 2010. And among the companies that have released figures for last year, the increase has grown to 17.7.

Speaking to Politiken, Børsting said that it was still likely that workers would accept the salary agreement, but added that galloping executive salary increases sent a bad signal.

“What we have seen with senior salaries is unacceptable, but I don’t think it is going to affect the vote,” Børsting said. “But that won’t stop me from saying some people are behaving shamefully. You should taste your own medicine when you make your employees work for less.”

BUSINESS NEWS AND BRIEFS Man wants to bring his love of Hooters to Denmark THE AMERICAN restaurant chain Hooters – which features scantily-clad women and rather traditional, boring Americanstyle fast food – is coming to Copenhagen, Berlingske reports. If, that is, a location can be found.

Jacob Vestergaard, a self-described entrepreneur, was inspired to bring a Hooters to Copenhagen

New media deal for AmCham

after visiting several of the restaurants in the US. He has placed an advertisement in Berlingske seeking a partnership with someone who can offer “the right location for this unique concept”. Women wear low-cut shirts and small orange shorts at 455 Hooters locations worldwide, including in England and Germany.

THE AMERICAN Chamber of Commerce in Denmark has announced a media partnership with The Copenhagen Post. The Post will act as AmCham’s media partner and cover the chamber’s business and social events, including the announcement of the 2012 Trans Atlantic Company of the Year award recipient.

Exchange Rates Australian Dollars AUD

Canada Dollars CAD

Euro EUR

Japan Yen JPY

Russia Rubles RUB

Sweden Kronor SEK

Switzerland Francs CHF

UK Pounds GBP

United States Dollars USD

Sell

5.73

5.53

7.33

0.07

0.18

0.81

6.05

8.82

5.54

Buy

6.25

5.98

7.56

0.07

0.20

0.85

6.25

9.17

5.80

LSMIDTH, a global engineering firm based in Copenhagen, is being accused of the deaths of hundreds of Cypriot miners who worked at an asbestos mine the company used to own and run.

The allegations were made in a documentary, ‘Den Danske Dødsmine’ (The Danish Deathmine), which was broadcast on Monday night on DR1 in which the film crew visited former workers of the Amiandos mine who now suffer from asbestos-related cancers.

The relatives of those who have died are now threatening to sue FLSmidth for allowing the miners to work without any protection in full knowledge that asbestos can be lethal to breathe in.

“The Cypriot government needs to make contact with the Danish company, as FLSmidth has to pay for the many lives they have destroyed in Cyprus,” George Perdikes, MP for the Cyprus Green Party, said according to DR. “There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who have died because of the mine.”

The documentary crew met many former miners who now

George Perdikes, a Cypriot MP, told the filmmakers that there are maybe thousands of people who have died because of the mine

suffer from asbestos-related diseases who blame FLSmidth for not informing them of the dangers of working in the mine.

“They told us nothing about the danger of asbestos,” former miner Giannis Vrontis said. “If they had told us, I would have never worked in the mine.”

Cypriot authorities have no exact figures on how many people have died as a result of the mine, as many asbestos deaths caused by lung cancer were formerly classified as pneumonia.

But a lung surgeon speaking to the filmmakers confirmed treating a number of patients for cancers that could only have been caused by exposure to asbestos.

FLSmidth’s CEO Bjarne

Moltke denied that the company is responsible for any compensation claims, stating that any responsibility was handed over to the new owner when they sold the mine in 1986.

A document from a 1971 conference of asbestos employers, released by DR, reveals that asbestos companies were well aware of the damage to health that asbestos caused.

In another document from 1969, the CEO of a company called Dansk Eternit Fabrik, then owned by FLSmidth, admits to knowing of the risks of asbestos. The document enabled Danish asbestos workers to successfully sue FLSmidth for damages in 1989.

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

Kastrup’s New Fast Gate Service Kristian Durhuus Vice President, Operations Copenhagen Airports Kristian has been responsible for Operations at Copenhagen and Roskilde airports since August 2011, which includes the areas of Passenger Service, Traffic, Baggage, Security, Quality Management, Environment, Planning & Analysis.

He has extensive international experience from eight years in the airport industry, where he has worked for both Swissair Group as well as Lufthansa in different capacities. This includes being General Manager for Aero-Chef (GateGourmet) in Billund and for LSG Lufthansa Service first in Frankfurt, then in Copenhagen and ultimately in the Nordics and Eastern Europe.

Following a couple of years as Managing Director for Rentokil Initial in Denmark, Kristian was CEO for five years of Falck Securitas Sikring and G4S Security Services in Denmark.

He has an M.Sc. from Copenhagen Business School.

He is 43, married with three children and spends his free time on music, politics, history and football.

Date: 23 March 2012 Time: 12.45 Venue: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Copenhagen

Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information

Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

If you would like to attend then please send us an email (event@bccd.dk) or call +45 31 18 75 58 • official media partner

Date: 21 March 2012 Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE SPOUSE: Momina Bashir Awan FROM: Pakistan SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: MBA (Degrees Assessed by Danish Agency for International Education).

EXPERIENCE: 4 years of wide experience as Human Resources Analyst in a USA based Pakistani.

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LOOKING FOR: Jobs in HR and Customer Services LANGUAGE SKILLS: English [Fluent], Urdu [Mother tongue], Hindi [Fluent], Danish [Beginner’s Level].

CONTACT: mominabashir@msn.com, +4571352387 SPOUSE: Nina Chatelain FROM: Vancouver, BC, Canada SEEKING WORK IN: Midt- og syd jylland QUALIFICATION: BA courses in english and anthropology, certificate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certified yoga teacher since 1999.

EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator – a project management internal communications role – for the museum’s major renovation project. I acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. I have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer.

LOOKING FOR: An administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skills LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue) and Danish (fluent comprehension-studieprøven / university entrance exam).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems.

CONTACT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com, Phone: +45 29707430 SPOUSE: Christina Koch FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Drama, 1997 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Experienced actor and voice coach for speakers, with parallel high level experience in written communications.

LOOKING FOR: Voice coaching for corporate presenters and speakers, Writing and Communications work, work in theatre organisations.

IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft Office, Office for Mac. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English - Native speaker, excellent written and oral expression. German – good reading and listening skills. Spanish – fluent oral communication, good reading and listening skills. Danish – beginners level speaking and writing skills.

CONTACT: Tel: +45 52 77 30 93 Christina@hermionesvoice.com, www.hermionesvoice.com.

SPOUSE: Geet Shroff FROM: Bangalore, India SEEKING WORK IN: Midtjylland / Copenhagen / Odense QUALIFICATION: Bachelor’s degree in Communicative English from Bangalore University, India.

EXPERIENCE: 8+ years of experience as Senior Copy Writer, Assistant Manager – Marketing Communications, Executive – Customer Loyalty & Communication, Customer Service Associate respectively. Through these years, I have developed content, handled complete marketing communications, organized numerous corporate (internal & external customer), private and institutional events ranging from 50 to 1000 people and also handling special projects that have included training & internal communication campaigns.

LOOKING FOR: A Corporate or Marketing Communication (Internal or External) position or that of a Copy Writer at an advertising agency or a corporate house. Also open to a position at an event management company.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Danish (Beginner).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office, Adobe In Design CS3 (Basic).

CONTACT: geet_shroff@yahoo.co.in +4550834024 SPOUSE: Lillian Liu FROM: Taiwan SEEKING WORK IN: Marketing/Public Relations.

QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Foreign Language and Literature (Major in English, and minor in French) EXPERIENCE: 5+ years of professional experiences in Marketing and PR. I am a dynamic and creative marketing communications talent with substantial international working experience in large corporation and in agencies, possessing Integrated Marketing Communication ability.

Proficient in analyzing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision-making and formulating marketing communication strategies. Familiar with brand image build-up, channel marketing, media communication, issue management, etc. Possess in-depth understanding/knowledge of APAC market and Chinese culture.

LOOKING FOR: Marketing jobs in Jylland.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mandarin Chinese, English, Danish, French.

IT EXPERIENCE: Familiar with Windows O/S and MS Office.

CONTACT: sugarex@hotmail.com SPOUSE: Fernando Carlos Cardeira da Silva FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Accounting course from Danish Institution (Regnskabs medarbejder at Niels Brock), previous frequency of Accounting and Management courses in Portugal.

EXPERIENCE: I have more than 5 years of experience in accounting.

LOOKING FOR: Job as accounting assistant.

IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and Power point) and accounting software such as Navision C5.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: I can read and write Danish, English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

CONTACT: fercardeira@gmail.com +45 50437588 SPOUSE: Sadra Tabassi FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Business Administration (MBA) LOOKING FOR: Any full time job related to my qualification field LANGUAGE SKILLS: Languages Fluent in English; Native in Farsi (Persian) and elementary level of Arabic.

IT EXPERIENCE: Basic knowledge about computer (Windows), Office 2010 (Word, Excel, Power Point),Statistical software (SPSS) CONTACT: sadra.tabassi@gmail.com, Tel:+4550337753 SPOUSE: Chao Wen FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Language teacher (German, Chinese.

EXPERIENCE: Teaching Chinese as a foreign language by offering company-course for 2 years, in Germany; teaching Chinese to native speaker in private school for 4 years, in Germany; teaching German as a foreign language by offering private course; exhibition interpreter; translator.

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LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, German, Danish.

IT EXPERIENCE: Windows, Open office, Powerpoint.

CONTACT: wenlily80@googlemail.com, tel.: 48417526

PARTNERS:

SPOUSE: Maihemutijiang Maimaiti FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus area, Denmark QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. In Computer Science, Uppsala University, Sweden; Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Southwest University.

LOOKING FOR: IT jobs.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Chinese, Uyghur.

IT EXPERIENCE: 1 year experience in Java programming and modelling in VDM++.

CONTACT: mehmudjan@live.se SPOUSE: Clémence Arnal FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen; Region Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Wastewater/drinking water (processes and treatments, building design, water sampling and pollution rate measurement); environment protection ( river basin management, waste management).

EXPERIENCE: Waste sorting representative (Office “Communauté du Pays d’Aix”, France); Leaks investigation on drinking water networks, Help to communes to deal with their drinking water system, Control operation of individual sanitation systems (Office “G2C Environnement”, France); Drinking water stations security: putting the Antiterrorist security plan in practice, employees security , Distribution network security: determining the cost of a network re-chlorination unit (“Drinking Water” administration of Aix en Provence, France).

LOOKING FOR: Water treatment assistant / engineer.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue); English (Fluent); Danish (Prøve Dansk 3).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office; AutoCAD (basic); Mapinfo (basic).

CONTACT: clem.arnal@gmail.com / tlf: 23 34 63 22 SPOUSE: Deepak Kumar Koneri FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: M.Sc in Electrical Engineering specialization in Embedded Systems (Jönköping, Sweden), B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hyderabad, India).

EXPERIENCE: Worked as Electrical Distribution Design Engineer in Electrical Consultant company for more than 2 years. I was responsible from the start of design definition phase till the implementation phase of individual project.

LOOKING FOR: Full and part time job opportunity in Energy, Robust Electronics design, PCB Design, Thermal Analyst, Design & Modelling of power systems, power optimization, simulation and also in constructional, architectural consulting organization.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (Fluent), Hindi (Mother Tongue), Swedish (Basic) and Danish(Basic, Currently learning).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office (word, Excel, Power point, Visio), CFD (Mentor Graphics FloTHERM, FloVENT, Noesis OPTIMUS, Electrical CAD, Assembly Programming (PIC 16f77, 8086,8051), WireMOM, Telelogic SDL-99, C and VHDL. CONTACT: konerideepak@gmail.com, 71561151 SPOUSE: Victor Bosie-Boateng FROM: Ghana SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: Master of social science (Development studies & International relations) from Aalborg University in Denmark EXPERIENCE: 5 years of wide experience working as a consultant to some NGO’s, a past JPO and intern at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Very organised and well abreast with project management, Good communication strategists, indepth study and understanding of climate change issues, Former teacher and teaching assistant at a university, well abreast with the use of the microsoft operating systems LOOKING FOR: Work as a consultant, assistant project officer, programme officer, development analysts, administrative officer. Also open to a position at an NGO, danida and other development oriented organisations LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), French (moderate), Dutch (moderate), Danish (Good) IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft word, excel, powerpoint, microsoft project and many more.

CONTACT: bosiem2001@yahoo.com,: 28746935, 53302445 SPOUSE: Ying Yuan FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Medical Degree & Master in Human Nutrition.

EXPERIENCE: Practiced medicine for 2 years China 2000-200. Conducted a clinical trial for ½ year England 2008. Work in nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, food industry and health secto.

IT EXPERIENCE: I am experienced in Statistical software SPSS and MINITAB, Nutritional software NetWISP/WISP. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English and Danish.

CONTACT: yuanying118@hotmail.com, +45 31 36 92 58 SPOUSE: Debasmita Ghosh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmachemistry specialization).

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LOOKING FOR: Job in pharmaceutical industry, CRO or any vocation suitable per qualification and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent written and spoken), enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian Languages (Hindi, Bengali, Kannada).

IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Applications i:e Microsoft office word, excel, outlook, power point and tools, lotus notes, medical and drug softwares like micromedex and ISIS draw. CDM systems like ds Navigator-Medical coding tool and AERS database.

CONTACT: ghoshdebasmita@gmail.com, Mobile No. +4571488438 SPOUSE: Vivek Kanwar Singh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: All of Denmark QUALIFICATION: 3 Years full time Bachelor in Fashion Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (India).

EXPERIENCE: 8 years of experience working in India and Republic of Mauritius with Garment Manufacturing Companies. Worked as a Key Account Manager for many International Brands like: GAP, FRENCH CONNECTION, MARKS & SPENCERS, SAKS 5TH AVENUE, etc..

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IT EXPERIENCE: Strong MS Office, Outlook and Excel Skills.

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EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience of running own clinic, medical transcription, medical audits with national level scheme LOOKING FOR: Full time/part time opportunity with pharmaceutical company, as assistant doctor, medical transcription, medical bill audits for insurance companies, data entry related jobs.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: ENGLISH, HINDI, DANISH CLASS TO COMMENCE SHORTLY CONTACT: pranavdsc@yahoo.com. Phone : +45 71841109 SPOUSE: Magda Bińczycka FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland QUALIFICATION: M.A. in philosophy, pedagogy ( postgraduated diploma) ,5th year of history of art ( Master Program).

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IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Word advanced user).

CONTACT: Tel: +45 41 44 94 52, magda.binczycka@gmail.com SPOUSE: Chia-Pei CHEN FROM: Taiwan SEEKING WORK IN: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching in corporations, institutions or International schools.

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IT EXPERIENCE: Proficient in MS Office (word, excel, power point etc.).

CONTACT: libravision3@gmail.com, 71412010

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs.

If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible. Remember to get it removed in case of new job.

EMPLOYMENT

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

23 - 29 March 2012

Østerbro

17

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

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Østerbro InternatIonal school Is lookIng for an MYP coordInator to joIn our aMazIng teaM of educators.

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Dane unable to obtain family reunification for his Thai girlfriend says residency rules are a Catch-22

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Exploiting ‘fat tax’ Supermarkets are scamming their customers under the guise of the new national ‘fat tax’

• A passion for education and working with students • • IB Middle Years Program training and experience •

NEWS | 3

SPORT

Get in or get out Is now the time to join the euro, or to run like hell?

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National coach Morten Olsen’s new contract will keep him in the job until after the 2014 World Cup.

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A new budget to ‘kickstart’ the economy JENNIFER BULEY

Warrior Jesus

• A visionary leader who is willing to participate in the development of the school • • An excellent communicator • • An excellent level of written and spoken English • the followIng docuMents should be subMItted when aPPlYIng for the PosItIon:

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How Christianity borrowed from Norse mythology and branded Jesus as a tough guy in order to woo the pagan Vikings

HISTORY | 19

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SRSF’s first budget will spend 17.5 billion kroner on infrastructure and abolish previous taxes and restrictions

C

AN YOU HAVE your cake and eat it too? Conventional wisdom says no, but with their first budget plan since the shift of power, the new Socialdemokraterne-RadikaleSocialistisk Folkeparti (SRSF) coalition appear to be giving it a shot.

Many of the elements of the new budget – which is expected to be released in its entirety on Thursday – will increase state spending at a time when the budget deficit has increased. But where the money would come from remained a mystery.

A number of the new budget items reinstate spending cuts made by the pre-

vious Venstre-Konservative (VK) govern- the number of students. Moreover, stument. Here are a few of the major points: dents will no longer pay administrative Families: VK limited the state’s fees, and prospective Master’s students monthly child support handouts (bør- will have prerequisite course tuitions necheck) to 35,000 kroner per fam- paid. The government will also fund ily. That limit has now been abolished, 1,500 more state-supported internship meaning that many families will get positions.

Infrastructure and job creation: larger child benefits. The government will also pay for fertility treatments and Some 17.5 billion kroner will be invested over two years in infrastructure voluntary sterilisations.

Welfare: VK and Dansk Folkeparti projects, such as a new rail line between (DF) introduced specialised welfare pro- Copenhagen and Ringsted, a project to grammes that reduced the cash benefits widen the Holbæk motorway, erosion for new immigrants. Those programmes protection efforts along Jutland’s west have now been eliminated and going coast, and renovations to public housforward all residents in need of state ing. Prime minister Helle Thorningsupport will receive the same welfare Schmidt has said that these ‘kickstart’ projects will create 20,000 new jobs benefits.

Higher education and research: from 2012-2013. The Danish ConstrucUniversities will get an extra one billion tion Association predicts 10,000.

Tax break:meeting The unpopular ‘mulkroner over two years to cover costs as- a personal Organise sociated with a predicted increase in timedia tax’ introduced by VK will be

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abolished, saving some 525,000 Danes with business laptops and mobile phones 3,000 kroner per year.

Not everyone, however, can look forward to a cash infusion. Smokers and junk food lovers will be taxed higher on their vices, while international corporations will also see higher tax bills. SRSF plans to raise revenue by closing a number of tax loopholes going back nearly 20 years that allowed international corporations in Denmark to escape paying corporate taxes (see more on page 15).

All told, the spending increases in the new budget are not as big as the minister of the economy and interior, Margrethe Vestager (R), would like. She noted that VK under-reported the deficit for 2012, making it imprudent to spend more. But Denmark will still meet the EU’s financial responsibility benchmarks, despite the larger deficit, she added.

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InOut The CPH Post Entertainment Guide | 16 - 22 Sep

KIDS ON FILM YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT BUSTER!

We are looking for a candidate who has completed or is currently pursuing a marketing-related degree and who has experience planning and coordinating events. You must have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and be able to work daily for approximately 20/25 hours per week. You should be an enthusiastic, self-motivated teamplayer with the ability to work independently at times. It would also be an advantage if you have a driving license.

THE CHILDREN’S MOVIE FEST IS HERE page

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The internship is unpaid but will offer the opportunity to gain valuable work experience.

BLUES w w w. c o p e n h a g e n b l u e s f e s t i v a l . d k

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John Primer w. Nisse Thorbjorn Band [US/DK] Joe Louis Walker [US] | Holmes Brothers [US] Mud Morganfield w. Peter Nande Band [US/DK] Louisiana Red & Paul Lamb [US/UK] | Janice Harrington w. Kenn Lending Blues Band [US/DK] Keith Dunn Band [US/NL] | Johnny Max Band [CA] Delta Blues Band | The Healers | Shades of Blue Thorbjorn Risager | Troels Jensen | Alain Apaloo H.P. Lange | Mike Andersen & Jens Kristian Dam Tutweiler | Fried Okra Band | The Blues Overdrive Bluesoul | Grahn & Malm | Ole Frimer | Paul Banks Jacob Fischer Trio | Svante Sjöblom | Jes Holtsoe

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18

culture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

23 - 29 March 2012

Mike Hofman

T

Malene Ørsted A bad-mouthed blogger recently revealed as single mother Jeanett Veronica Hindberg, an office assistant from Farum.

So what’s so special about her?

Oh, where to start. She’s taking bad-mouthing to a whole new level, targeting wannabe famous Danes on her blog. And then at the beginning of this month she published a book, ‘A bitter c**t’s confessions’ (En bitterfisses bekendelser), in which the harassment continued to the irritation of some of her victims who started calling her a coward for concealing her real identity.

Noma and its head chef René Redzepi have remained silent over the issue, preferring to let their food do the talking

for ‘Nordic’ and ‘food’ – as a force in world gastronomy, granting stars to four new restaurants in Copenhagen: Den Røde Cottage, Geranium, Grønbech & Churchill and Relæ.

“Despite all this, thumbs up for crowning Relæ,” Troelsø said.

“Last year I suggested that they should have a star. It shows that Michelin can appreciate new and experimental cuisine.”

Some 11 percent of tourists’ total expenditure is spent at restaurants, representing an 8.1 billion kronor turnover per year.

“Denmark is perceived as a gastronomic hub in northern Europe, and the extra Michelin stars for a number of restaurants in Copenhagen help to underline this valuable image,” Maria Haugaard Christensen, the international project manager at Visit Denmark, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “There is no doubt that the crowning of Noma as the

world’s best restaurant attracts tourists.”

Christensen has in recent years noticed significant interest from the international media in New Nordic Cuisine. “The gastronomy is high on the agenda when foreign journalists visit Denmark, and their reports are helping to raise the awareness of particularly Copenhagen.”

But according to Troelsø, the Michelin Guide isn’t there to help the restaurants or the tourist industry. “It is simply a guide designed to be used by the traveller looking for a restaurant to dine at.”

Redzepi, who will be on next week’s cover of Time magazine, will learn on April 30 if he has retained his best restaurant award for a third year at a ceremony in London. Meanwhile, Noma remains the only restaurant in Denmark with two Michelin stars.

Factfile | Noma, the world’s best Noma was named the world’s best restaurant in both 2010 and 2011 in the S.Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant Awards. However, critics contend that these lists shouldn’t be taken too seriously. “Wonder how many of the voters have actually eaten there [Noma] – it has only 50 seats and it is, after all, in Denmark.

And one wonders how many of these restaurants serve Pellegrino,” The Lost Angeles Times wrote in 2011.

Questions have also been asked

about the lobbying carried out by restaurants – and in some cases even governments – of jurors who have strong connections to eligible restaurants, of the criteria used to select jurors more likely to favour cool restaurants over traditional ones, of jurors voting for restaurants they have clearly not dined at during the last 18 months, of restaurants giving jurors complimentary meals, and of collusion between jurors to ensure they vote in their region’s best interests.

Queen’s crack at the big time Scanpix/JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

he Michelin Guide has been criticised in Denmark for declining to grant a third star to the Copenhagen restaurant Noma. Many believed the restaurant would win the elusive honour this year.

“Noma snubbed out of third star,” public broadcaster DR and Berlingske newspaper both wrote on their websites. “Noma should have had three stars,” business newspaper Børsen concurred.

‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’, a Michelin rival, ranked Noma the world’s number one in both 2010 and 2011. “Noma is best known for its fanatical approach to foraging,” it wrote on its website. “It’s the entire package, from its ingredient ingenuity to flawless execution, that makes it a beacon of excellence and which leads to an emotive, intense, liberating way of eating, unlike any other.”

Ole Troelsø, a food critic at Børsen newspaper, accused the guide of being political.

“This is a statement saying that no matter what ‘50 Best’ says, Michelin makes its own decision,” Troelsø told The Copenhagen Post. “I’ve been to three-stars restaurants before.

Last month I was in Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, and it might be like comparing a Mercedes with a Jaguar, but Noma was much better. Michelin clearly crossed the line by not giving that third star.”

Noma’s chef René Redzepi declined to comment on the decision. “We are very happy with the two stars. We are not going to make any more comments,” a Noma spokesman said.

According to Michelin, three stars represent “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”, two are for “excellent cooking, worth a detour”, and one denotes “a very good restaurant in its category”. A three-star Michelin ranking is rare; the 2012 guide shows that only 15 restaurants in Europe were rewarded with three stars, of which 11 are in France.

In an interview with American media group Bloomberg, Michelin justified its decision by saying that Noma was measured against the breadth of other world-class restaurants.

“We were one of the first guides to recognise Noma and the talent of Rene Redzepi,” said Rebecca Burr, the guide’s editor. “But Noma is measured against other restaurants across the world. We’ve made visits this year and I’ve been myself, and we are confident in our decision.”

The new Michelin edition did, however, recognise ‘New Nordic Cuisine’ – ‘Noma’ is a conflation of the Danish words

Who is ...

Bitterfissen Bethany?

Scanpix

Despite its standing as the ‘Best Restaurant in the World’, Copenhagen’s finest will have to wait at least another year for the prestigious guide’s top honour

Erik Refner/scanpix

Outrage as Noma fails to get third Michelin star

So who has she harassed?

Among the more famous ones are reality TV star Amalie Szigethy, “who is as orange as she is stupid”, and equestrian star Tina Lund, who she claims abuses her step-children and stable girls. And then there’s Berlingske newspaper’s blogger Anne Sophia Hermansen, who Bitterfissen calls the meningsfissen (opinion pussy) Anne Sophia Herpes

Margrethe announced the news at Tivoli last week

Claudia Santos Margrethe confirms she will design sets and costumes for forthcoming production of ‘The Nutcracker’

S

ome might say it’s a step up for a woman who sits in the highest seat in the land, for Queen Margrethe has been unveiled as the official set and costume designer for a new production of Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ that will play at Tivoli this coming November and December.

The 71-year-old queen’s career in theatre design dates back to the late 1980s, but this is her most glittering and challenging assignment to date.

“It’s very exciting to do a full-length ballet with a lot of

Oh, so that’s why she’s out?

Probably. Although she never saw her secret identity as a big deal.

And since so many people were trying to guess it anyway – some even thought she was a man – she probably just wanted to put them out of their agony. But she didn’t see the downside, because since coming out, she’s been contacted by all manner of “media, grumpy idiots and horny men”.

costumes and a more demanding kind of scenery,” she told Reuters in an interview last week on Thursday. In all, she will be involved in designing in excess of 100 costumes and four large stage sets for a cast of 36 dancers.

Margrethe, who is celebrating 40 years on the throne this year, added that she was easily persuaded to work on a ballet that will be set in the era of Hans Christian Andersen.

The assignment, which began over a year ago, continues a co-operation with Tivoli that has seen the queen design sets for four small productions at Tivoli’s pantomime theatre between 2001 and 2009.

Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ will run from November 22 to December 22 and include 28 performances.

Why does she do it?

She doesn’t like them, I guess.

Although her vitriol isn’t always predictable. For instance, she’s against politicians, but pro royalty. Sounds like a good candidate for the guillotine!

Is it, at least, a good read?

Not really, although she does have a lot of followers on her blog and Facebook, who are now afraid the lack of anonymity will cause her writings to stop.

How can people be sure it’s her?

They can’t. Some of her neighbours told Ekstra Bladet they didn’t recognise the woman in the photo, who looks too young and has dark hair.

Did she have a response to that?

Of course. Ekstra Bladet are “imbecile f**kheads”, she said on Facebook. “And my neighbours apparently aren’t updated on my new hair colour. I’ll remember to put up flyers next time.”

Denmark through the looking glass The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

23 - 29 March 2012

19

The establishment found him weird, today he is universally revered Det Kongelige Bibliotek

Statens Museum for Kunst

Vilhelm Hammershøi at home, trying to smile for the camera

Bonnie Fortune Enigmatic like the subjects of his paintings and celebrated in the modern age like very few others, Vilhelm Hammershøi’s “foetuses in alcohol” have found new life in the 21st century

I

n 19th century Copenhagen, the respected art critic Karl Madsen called the reclusive artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) “the weirdest soul ever to grace Danish painting”. And in his lifetime – an early death from throat cancer silenced the already quiet artist – the majority of critics decried the work of the taciturn artist, who painted in several shades of grey with the occasional splash of black, as boring. Today, though, Hammershøi is experiencing a revival in popularity – among his fans is the British actor Michael Palin, who made a programme about him. Those that love his work can see far beyond the grey, finding fields of subtle colour in his shadowy canvases. And it’s unsurprising to note that the National Museum (Statens Museum for Kunst) is currently displaying a retrospective of his work, ‘Hammershøi and Europe’.

Hammershøi, who was born into a middle class life in Copenhagen, showed talent for art at an early age. His family supported his talent, especially his mother, and he was able to attend the Danish Royal Academy to study his craft. At school, his colleagues found his work confusing. One of his teachers, the prominent Danish artist PS Krøyer (1851–1909) who was famous for painting sunny beach scenes full of light and colour, maintained a lovehate relationship with the young artist.

He first compared Hammershøi’s images to “foetuses in alcohol”, but then

acknowledged that although he did not understand the almost monochromatic work Hammershøi was producing, he expected him to be successful and would therefore leave him alone.

Hammershøi made his debut in the Copenhagen art world in 1885 when he submitted a portrait of his younger sister Anna to be judged by the Danish Royal Art Academy for an important art prize. In the portrait, Anna sits alone, dressed in black, her head cocked anxiously to the side. The painting defied artistic conventions of the time, which favoured including significant objects around the subject of a painting to create a layer of symbolic meaning.

Unsurprisingly, Anna’s dour portrait was passed over by the academy. However, even though the establishment was unimpressed, the subdued Hammershøi had developed a following among his colleagues and peers, and the loss of the prize prompted a public outcry from 41 of his fellow artists who supported and admired his work. As Madsen observed, with the portrait of Anna, Hammershøi had thrown down the gauntlet to the academy.

The controversy prompted his fellow artists to create an alternative to the annual painting exhibition at Charlottenborg, which many spent their entire careers bidding to be included in. In 1891, the group created The Free Exhibition, which is today housed at Den Frie Udstillingsbygning in Østerbro.

Though he seemed to be surrounded by debate and turmoil, Hammershøi went on quietly making his work, hardly bothering to participate in the uproar.

In fact, Hammershøi wasn’t even around for the Free Exhibition, having married Ida Ilsted in 1890. The pair departed from Copenhagen to tour European capitals. Rather than spend the honeymoon by his wife’s side, however, Hammershøi often left her to visit

Kind of looks familiar doesn’t it, like almost every other Copenhagen flat you’ve been to – one of Hammershøi’s many paintings of Strandgade 30

museums and meet artists, conducting research as part of his personal artistic education. Ida and Hammershøi continued to travel often throughout their marriage, to Paris, London, and through Italy and the Netherlands, but their Copenhagen home at Strandgade 30 would prove to be the artist’s greatest inspiration.

It was at Strandgade that Hammershøi created the studies of empty rooms for which he is famous. The couple moved to this Copenhagen address in 1898 and the artist began his methodical study of rooms, doors, windows, and every other possible architectural configuration, making over 60 paintings of the flat. Many of the paintings from Strandgade, with titles like ‘Dust Motes Dancing in the Sunbeams’ (1900) or ‘White Doors or Open Doors (Strandgade 30)’ (1905), are empty of people and objects, showing only the rooms and the light contained within. Hammershøi, in a rare interview, stated that he just liked the mood of old houses. When the artist did add a person to his sparse canvases, it was most likely Ida. She is, however in keeping with Hammershøi’s convention of flouting tactics, often portrayed with her back to the audience. A typi-

cal painting like ‘Interior. Young Woman seen from Behind’ (1904) shows Ida engaged in unknown domestic business, dressed in black, her back to the viewer, with her neck – arched slightly to the side – as the most animated part of the painting.

Hammershøi largely ignored the society of his contemporaries, preferring to keep to himself. However, he did seek a connection with the American-born, British-based artist James Abbott Whistler, another controversial figure in contemporary art circles, who painted in a way that defied categorisation. The Danish artist admired him, probably because he saw a kindred spirit in Whistler’s artwork. He even painted his own version of Whistler’s most famous painting, the austere ‘Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1’ (1871), which is commonly referred to as ‘Whistler’s Mother’. When visiting Hammershøi and Europe at the National Musuem here in Copenhagen, visitors will see that curators have organised Hammershøi’s paintings alongside the work of artists that both inspired and were inspired by him, including paintings by Whistler.

Unfortunately, on Hammershøi and Ida’s several trips to London, he

was never there at the same time as them. Unable to find inspiration in a friendship with a like-minded artist, Hammershøi was instead inspired by the London fog. The grey mist of the British city can be seen in several of his canvases from this period such as ‘Street in London’ (1906).

Madsen, a reluctant supporter of Hammershøi, tried to classify the artist’s unclassifiable style as ‘neurasthenic painting’, derived from the psychoanalytical term neurastehnia. Neurasthenic patients displayed fatigue, anxiety, and depression, believed to be the side effects of industrialisation. Perhaps Hammershøi’s depressive art was actually reflecting the temperament of a society moving into the modern age.

Beyond one dramatic incident in 1907 when Hammershøi and Ida were mistakenly arrested by Italian authorities for forgery, the drama in this Danish master’s life only played out on his canvases. He developed and maintained his stark artistic vision, and it is for this that he is remembered today.

The exhibition ‘Hammershøi and Europe’ is at Statens Museum for Kunst until May 20. For more details see G4 in InOut.

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

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